Whats Next?
by Happy Pappy
Summary: When the huge Megatech conglomerate closes due to a bad public reputation, the value to cybernetic Megatechmade bodies raises in the black market and people begin hunting for these cyborgs. If that isnt enough for Section 9 to handle... COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1: Closure

What's Next?

Author: Chrischi

Rating: PG13

Category:

Summary: When the huge Megatech conglomerate closes due to a bad public reputation, the value to cybernetic Megatech-made bodies raises in the black market and people begin hunting for these cyborgs. If that isnt enough for Section 9 to handle, the number of recent ghost hackings is beginning to rise.

Note: This story takes place a couple months after Kusanagi merged with the Puppet Master. Batou kept everything a secret and Motoko was just considered dead.

Disclaimer: I own no part of Ghost in the Shell, characters, or trademarks.

Chapter 1: Closure

Togusa sat silently in the dimly lit armored van owned by Section 9. He yawned as he read the headlines in the newspaper that he held in his hands. Most people simply used the net to find out the latest news but Togusa, who had never been too crazy about computerization and such, still prefered the black and white newspaper.

Quietly, Togusa skimmed the front page. He glanced up at the glowing monitors that sat in front of him before looking back down at the paper and seeing the top headline. He read over the words once more before he leaned his head back and bit and smirked. "_Hmm..._"He thought in his head.

_"What's up?"_ A familiar voice said through the network implants in the ex-cop's brain.

Tougsa scratched his head in slight suprise, _"Sorry about that. It's nothing, Bateau."_ He'd forgotten that he had an open link to his Section 9 partner. _"Say, have you heard the news? Megatech's finally closed down."_

_"It's was just a matter of time." _The slightly scrambled voice said through the network, "_Ever since the Puppet Master incident awhile ago, they've been getting a bad rep. I heard that they manufactured their last cyborg last week."_

_"Yeah. Nothing special about it, I guess. Probably specially ordered by the military or something."_

_"No doubt." _The voice paused for a moment and Togusa recieved a bit of unwanted static before he heard the transmission once more, "_All right. I'm at the spot." _Another short pause. "_No one's around but a bum and he aint gonna say anything. Looks like he's been passed out for awhile. Why don't you check the cam?"_

_"Hold on a sec."_ Togusa put the paper down and looked to the glowing screens in front of him. He gazed into the screens and waited as the recording played. He watched it as the hidden camera recorded the phone that was stationed at the street corner. Nothing happened. The entire recording played with Togusa watching and no one made a single call. The agent leaned back and bit his lip, thinking. "_Nothing."_

Bateau came on, "_What do you mean nothing? The guy used this phone. The usage records say it was in use just about five minutes ago."_

Togusa thought a few more minutes then it hit him, "_Hold on."_ He interfaced with van's AI a moment and had the recording played over again. The same thing, nothing happened. Finally, he had the recording played again only this time, he zoomed in on the actual booth. The tape played for a few minutes, then it happened. The recieved was picked up by an invisible figure and floated for a few moments then it was set back down. Togusa chuckled, "_It was used a few minutes ago by someone. I couldnt tell what the guy looked like. He was using Thermoptics. Pretty good quality too. I can even see a bit of an outline."_

_"Nice job. I'm guessing we're not gonna be meeting our hacker today. I'll meet you back at the office. I'll contact Ishikawa on my way back and see what he knows about this camoflague. Talk to ya later, Togusa."_

Bateau's voice dissappeared from Togusa's mind and the link was finished. The ex-cop stretched leisurly as he turned around and sat at the steering wheel, "Ahh, yes. The job never let's up, does it." He chuckled as he started the military issued, armored-van and started for his way home.

----

Bateau sat calmly in Chief Aramaki's office. He'd just returned from his most recent mission in failure. He and Togusa had been sent to the area of a expected ghost hacker's next hit spot to investigate. They werent expecting the hacker to have in his possession 2900 Thermoptic Camoflague. According to Ishikawa, it was the newest level of thermoptic camo. Not even anyone in Section 9 had it yet. It certaintly was a surprise.

The door opened and Togusa entered. The two exchanged greetings as the humanoid officer sat down next to him in a chair in front of the Chief's desk. Aramaki himself sat behind the large piece of furniture and regarded two of his agents warily. Clearing his throat, he spoke, "Bateau already briefed me. It definatly is a shock at what that hacker had."

He leaned back and sighed. Over the last couple of months, the Chief of Section 9 had aged greatly. Ever since the second-in-command of Section 9 had been unexpecedly killed while on a mission, Aramaki had been given a even larger amount of stress than usual. Now there was only five members of Section 9 and they were missing their most valuable field specialist.

The Chief continued, "But we'll talk about that later." He leaned foreward once more, "I take it both of you have heard the news of Megatech's closing, correct?" The agents nodded, "I thought so. You both know that Megatech has contributed to Section 9 vastly. All of our agents, except for Togusa and myself, were given their cyborg bodies at Megatech. Now that the company is finished, we have no more source for such bodies but..." He smiled lightly and rocked in his chair, "I spoke with the president, well. Former President of Megatech and he has agreed to give us possession of the last manufactured Megatech cyborg. He will fill the gap of the late Major Kusanagi which we desperatly need to fill."

"When is he set to arrive?" Asked Bateau.

"A few days. We transferred him from the military and his ghost is being put into the cyborg as we speak. I'll give you guys the low-down on our newest agent." He reached into his desk and pulled out a plain data disk. A script of words began to play for the Chief, "Name: Chigako Yoko. Age: 37. Occupation: Military Officer." He stopped and looked up, "That's all the needed info. Now, onto more pressing matters. The hacker."

The door behind them opened as if on cue and Ishikawa entered the office. The bearded man strolled across the floor in his usual calm way and stopped and few inches from the Chief's desk. He recieved a nod from Aramaki and spoke, "I found a couple useful facts on this guy from The Net. He's a newcomer to the hacker setting. He hasn't done too much so far. Actually, he started here in Newport City and hasnt gone anywhere else as of so far and I doubt he will. There's a whole profile on the Section 4 Network. I've talked to the chief down there and he agreed to leave the network open for you guys. Check it out whenever you get a chance." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, "He should be an easy catch."

Togusa frowned and leaned foreward, "What about that camo?"

"I said it 'should' be an easy catch but there's a problem. The guy isnt originally from around here. The Republic of India is his original home and the guys over there want him back. The RoI isnt exactly the most peace loving nation and we do not want this guy to fall into their hands."

"What's the plan, Ishikawa?" Bateau was listening intently to the intelligence officer.

"Simple." He said with a brief chuckle, "The hack is planning on meeting with a represenative from the RoI within the next two days in order to talk and finally get the hell out of here and back home. The plan is to catch the guy while he's meeting. What'd I say? Simple, huh?" He smirked, "Section 5 is already working on the case. As I'm sure you guys know. Our relationship with those hot heads isnt that great. If they catch us using our methods to fix this problem, we're in trouble so we gotta get there before they do." He pushed off from the wall and started for the door, "I'll have the low down on where the meeting is taking place and when we gotta strike in a while. Just relax and stay ready. We'll probably need the whole group for this plan."

Bateau turned around and stopped the oldest member of Section 9, "Why's that? We usually just go in groups of two or three."

"Yeah but usually we dont have Section 5 on our tails. What we're gonna have to do is get to the meeting for they do, nuetralize the situation, then clear up the evidence." A smile spread under his beard, "When I say clear up, I actually mean blow the shit out of the room. We're gonna need two of you guys to infiltrate and kill the targets, preferably Bateau and Saito. I can program and detonate the explosives from the ground and Togusa's our driver. Sound good?" A shrug was enough for Ishikawa, "Alright then. We'll probably be going through with this within the next few days so stay alert."

To Be Continued...

Note: Yes, That was short and not very well done but I'm tired and I just sort of wanted to get this thing started. The plot will be deepened starting with the next chapter. Just keep reading and R&R please.

Edited and Revised on Febuary 15th, 2007


	2. Chapter 2: Line of Fire

What's Next?

Author: Chrischi

Rating: PG13

Category:

Summary: When the huge Megatech conglomerate closes due to a bad public reputation, the value to cybernetic Megatech-made bodies raises in the black market and people begin hunting for these cyborgs. If that isnt enough for Section 9 to handle, the number of recent ghost hackings is beginning to rise.

Note: This story takes place a couple months after Kusanagi merged with the Puppet Master. Bateau kept everything a secret and Motoko was just considered dead.

Disclaimer: I own no part of Ghost in the Shell, characters, or trademarks.

Chapter 2: Line of Fire

The blinds of Bateau's apartment bedroom were closed, shielding him from the light of the now setting sun. He was currently off-duty and was using the time wisely and sleeping. To tell the truth, he wasnt exactly 'off duty.' Ever since the news of their new hacker's allegiance with the Republic of India, Section 9 had been on duty 24/7 until they find out when and where the hacker was meeting the RoI's represenative and for the last day or so, they hadn't recieved a bit of information.

As if right on cue, Bateau's bedside phone began to ring, waking him from his restless sleep. The cyborg sat up in his bed and reached for the reciever. He answered the phone tiredly, "Hello?"

The voice on the other end of easily recognized as Chief Aramaki's. The aged, stress-filled voice spoke tiredly through the phone, "Bateau? Get up and get ready, we got news. Hurry down to the station, Ishikawa will fill you in along the way."

The connection went dead with a click and Bateau sprung from his bed. Flinging on the clothes that sat in a chair at his bedside, he hurried out to his car. He wore standard-issued Section 9 clothing. Nothing special and no weapons except his required automatic pistol.

The large cyborg took the elevator to the ground level of his apartment complex and easily found his bright-red sports car. He'd gotten the automobile last month and was very pleased with the shiny piece of metal. It had speed, style, and looks. Everything Bateau looked for in a car. Plus, it was red. His coveted car started with a silent roar before speeding out of the parking lot of the complex and sped down the street.

As he drove, Bateau checked the back seat. Just where he left it was his Zastaber and a couple of other handy gadgets that he kept in reach within his car. Just in case an event like this were to happen. It wasnt, of course, even a minority of his full storage of guns. He had countless fire arms hidden in his secret safe house that only he and another person knew of. Both of those people Bateau trusted very much.

It wasnt long before Ishikawa's voice came over his com network. The information specialist spoke clearly despite the staticy sound of a network transmission, "_We got info, Bateau. Dont bother stopping by the station. Head for the Irhama Hotel to the north. That's where Mr. Shirow will be meeting with a rep from India."_

Bateau was forced to make a sharp turn in order to change his direction and head for the location Ishikawa mentioned. His car's build-in AI immediatly displayed the location of the Irhama Hotel on a translucent map before him, "_What's going on over at Section 5?"_

_"Same thing, I suppose. They are activating and sending some guys over to storm the place and capture the represenative and Shrow, the hacker."_

_"What do they expect to do with them?"_

_"Probably just hand them over to Section 6 and have them deported."_

_"and Shirow?"_

_"He'll be given a choice. The new head of the MOFA is a dumbass. He'll give the guy a choice of either to stay here and face a prison sentence or be deported to India."_

_"That's the last thing we need." _The Hotel came within sight and Bateau began to slow down a bit. He could see the trademark Section 9 van parked a ways from the hotel and Chief Aramaki's own ride, "_I guess it's up to us to take out these bastards. I'm coming up to the hotel now. Where are you?"_

_"Near the front door. Section 5 had the Hotel evacuated a little while ago and we're monitoring the room where the meeting's taking place. The Chief and Togusa are both with me but we haven't heard from Saito yet."_

Bateau casually parked his car and stepped out. He walked a little while towards the entrance and finally saw the rest of the crew crouching behind a grove of rose bushes a ways from the entrance. He double-timed it over to them and nodded to each, "What's the situation?"

Ishikawa was gazing at a laptop monitor and didn't look up to speak, "Everything's ready. I can detonate our explosives from here while you and Saito enter from the front door. Togusa and the Chief will be waiting at both the armored van and your car for getaway."

Togusa cracked his knuckles. He was watching the window with electronic binoculars, "Saito still ain't here. We can't contact him via the net either."

Ishikawa sighed but managed to maintain his cool composure, "Section 5 is scheduled to arrive in about 25 minutes. They'll start infiltration at 30 and probably reach the target at 45 or 50. We need to get started."

"Togusa can take his place." Bateau checked his weaponry as he prepared to take off.

"Nope." He said as he turned to go through a black bag, "Those Indian guys were smart enough to put detectors throughout the hotel. They'll pick up anyone with at least 25 human body parts. That's why it's gotta be you and Saito but since he ain't here..." He removed three small black cylinders from the bag and stood, "I'm gonna have to take his place. Togusa, you know how to work the detonation equipment, right?"

Togusa nodded slowly and walked over to the computer, "Yeah. You showed me the other day in case of emergency. You sure you can handle this?"

He chuckled and shook his head, "It's been awhile since I've done any real field work but I can handle it. Just keep you're finger ready. When we give the signal, you'll have to start detonation countdown. That'll give us a couple seconds to make a dramatic escape." Ishikawa cracked his neck and slung a black duffel bag across his back, "Ready?"

Bateau nodded with a smirk, "Chief, you'd better head over to my car. I'm gonna come running after I'm done and I'm gonna need a quick getaway." He looked up, "The passcode is..." He paused a moment and swallowed, "2501."

Aramaki stared a momet then stood and nodded, "Right. I'll meet you along the way out. Dont fail." The Chief left for Bateau's car.

Ishikawa stretched lightly then started for the entrance, "Come on, Bateau. Section 5 will be here in a matter of minutes and I dont wanna have to hurry."

Bateau chuckled and followed after the veteran. The two cyborgs went for the front entrance to the Irhama and entered without trouble. When they entered, Ishikawa pointed out the detectors that couldn't detect thier Megatech bodies then went for the elevator. Bateau advised that they take the stairs and they did so. It was a long climb but Ishikawa finally motioned that they were on the correct floor. The two entered the peach-colored hall and walked cautiously down. The room that the meeting was going on in was room 273, it was the last along the hall.

Ishikawa stopped outside the door and whispered to his partner, "This is it. I'm guessing there's a bit of security in there."

"Guessing?" Bateau asked as he loaded his Zastaber, "I thought we were monitoring the room."

"Just audio. We couldnt get any visual except from the window and we just got a glance at a security officer or two." He reached into his bag and quickly produced a small key-pad, "I'm gonna hack the lock mechanism. After that, we're gonna have to bust in or we'll be caught so get ready now."

Bateau nodded and took hold of the automatic weapon. He took a deep breath as Ishikawa typed a few codes onto his keypad then stepped away from the door. He looked at his partner as he took hold of another Zastaber then nodded. The two cybernetic agents went for the door and equal times and busted down the unlocked door with a loud crash.

Inside, they were suprised to see a room filled with darkly colored suites and various automatic weapons. There was a lot more security than they'd expected but their surprise assualt allowed them to take out three of the officers before any return fire was given. Ishikawa and Bateau were able to take cover behind a couch and a pillar to avoid the deadly shots.

Ishikawa cursed over the network, _"I miscalculated."_

_"Big time." _Bateau reloaded his automatic, "_We'll have to storm at the same time."_

_"Wait. Do you have any auto pistols or anything."_

_"Just the one." _He removed the pistol and displayed it to Ishikawa as a round of enemy fire was shot overhead, _"Why? Got a plan?"_

_"If you wanna call it that, yes. If we storm out with our big ass Zastabers then we'll get mowed down. We'll need flexibility. Here." _Ishikawa rummaged through his duffel bag. He was lucky he was behind the long couch or he'd get a couple of holes blow into him. Ishikawa removed two pistols. Both of them were submachine automatic MX-14's. He tossed one to his partner. The security officers shot at the pistol but were too messy to hit the movement, _"Alright. At the count of three, we're gonna jump from our covers and just shoot the hell outta these guys."_

_"You call that a plan?"_

_"No, you did. It might work. Just dive towards this couch and if we dont take them all out then when you hit the ground, roll behind the couch and I'll roll behind your pillar. I saw about ten officers, we got three so there's seven left. Plus, the represenative and hacker. You ready?"_

_"Sure. Just count."_

Ishikawa nodded and began the countdown, "_1" _Bateau and Ishikawa double-checked their pistols.

_"2"_ They dug their feet into the ground and flexed their leg muscles. Preparing for the dive.

_"3"_ The two officers jumped at the same time and unleashed a wave of automatic fire at the uncovered security. Bateau quickly removed two from the combat and Ishikawa managed to blow half of one's head off. Their motion seemed slow to the cybernetic warriors as the enemy finally returned fire. Their aim was horribly off and Bateau took out another enemy as his shoulder hit the ground and rolled behind the cover of the couch. Ishikawa hit the ground and rolled but him timing was off and landed about three feet from his cover. He cursed his stupidity and crawled for the pillar but his gaze was caught.

Out from behind a steel desk crawled a well-dressed, 30-ish gentleman. He had dark skin and a black mullet of hair. He was easily recognized as the Indian represenative. The frightened man stood straight up and Ishikawa let out a short burst of automatic fire. The bullets tore through the expensive suit of the rep and hit his chest with a dull thud. The man went down and the three remaining officers turned towards the fallen man. One dived to cover his current leader and Ishikawa killed the man before he hit the nearly dead represenative. The two other security stepped towards the two dead men before remembering the current fray. Their forgetfulness was answered by Bateau who used his Zastaber to kill the two fools.

Ishikawa and Bateau stood after the last officer hit the ground and looked around the room. It was cleared of all life except them. Ishikawa holstered his one pistol and put the other in his bag, "We're missing one."

"The hacker." Bateau turned around and listened. Cursing loudly, he ran for the door and shouted, "Shit!" Ishikawa poked his head out the door and saw the skinny hacker sprinting for the elevator. Bastau pointed his Zastaber but cursed once more as the automatic weapon jammed. He quickly removed his own pistol and pointed. He fired a short, precise burst of fire and watched. The scene seemd to slow down as the bullets cut through the air and hit the hacker in the back of the head. He hit the ground with a dull thud and the two agent re-entered the room with a sigh.

Ishikawa removed the three black cylinders from his bag and tossed one to Bateau, "Put that one in a corner of the room."

They went to install the explosives and finished quickly. Ishikawa rushed to the center of the room with Bateau, "I hear Section 5 coming up the stairs." He contacted Togusa, "_Hit the bombs."_ He waited a few seconds then heard the confirmation beep. The bombs would blow in a few seconds. "Shit, how do we get out."

Basteau smiled warily, "You've been behind you're computer for too long, Ishikawa." He moved to the window and fired a long burst at the window with his now-working Zastaber. He then used his cyborg strength to throw the auto gun through the window, breaking it. "Hmm... should have thought this through..." They looked down at the long fall.

Ishikawa laughed, "I still got the stuff." He chuckled as he removed a odd looking gun from his bag. It had sharp hooks on both sides and had a very gripable handle. Ishikawa aimed the gun near the bottom of the opposite building and fired. The front hook fired out with a high pitched zap. It hit the building and stuck. He then aimed the back of the gun near the top of the room. It shot out and stuck into the far away wall. Ishikawa laughed, "Grab my legs. We'll slide down. Hurry."

Bateau quickly took a tight grip of his partner's lower legs and the two jumped out the window. Ishikawa kept a hold of the rest of the pistol and they slid very quickly down the metallic rope. Halfway down, the room behind them exploded in a see of flames just as Section 5 entered the same floor.

The agents hit the side of the opposite building and fell to the ground. Soon after, their rope broke from the explosion and fell to the ground. Ishikawa took the pistol part with him as he went for a sprint towards the Togusa-driven van a few meters away. He shouted to Bateau, "I'll meet you back at the office. Good work."

Bateau nodded as he ran towards where he parked his car, "You too!" It wasnt long before he saw Chief Aramaki driving towards him. He stopped and Bateau got in and they took off away from the now crime scene, "Mission accomplished."

"You two did well." Aramaki said as he sped down the road. After they were clear of the hotel he slowed, "I was surprised at how well Ishikawa worked. After all these years, he's still in top condition."

Bateau laughed, "It was a surprise." He crossed his arms, "but what I'm worried about Saito. He's usually the first one to a mission. Still no contact?"

"Nothing but as soon as we get back we'll hunt him down."

"Right."

The two rode towards the Section 9 base at a good rate after a successful mission.

---

Garret Black was on a great date.

He'd been waiting for months to take this girl from work out and had saved his money to bring her to a exquisite resteraunt. All had gone well so far and dinner was almost over.

Garret excused himself from the table to freshen up in the bathroom. He danced into the public restroom, he gave himself a confident smile in the mirror as he glanced at a closed stall. Walking backwards, Garret opened the door and entered.

When he turned around, he fell flat on his ass at what he saw.

Sitting on the closed toilet was a man. He sat straight up. His wide-open eyes stared distantly forward, not moving. He appeared as though he hadn't been moved for hours. Garret had never seen something like this before but he'd heard stories. This was a cyborg. A ghost hacked cyborg and a bad one at that.

Standing, Garret tried talking but it did no good. Building his courage, the factory worker reached forward and into the cyborg's shirt pocket. Inside was a ID Card. A military card.

The man had only a first name. Saito.

To Be Continued...

Note: I feel pretty good about this chapter. I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted in this one and I tried to keep it shorter. I intended this chapter just to be sort of an opener and near the end just to start the real plotline. I hope I did good in the action scene. I'm not used to doing sci-fi action scenes. Tell me what you think.

Edited and Revised on Febuary, 15th 2007


	3. Chapter 3: New Faces

What's Next?

Author: Chrischi

Rating: PG13

Category:

Summary: When the huge Megatech conglomerate closes due to a bad public reputation, the value to cybernetic Megatech-made bodies raises in the black market and people begin hunting for these cyborgs. If that isnt enough for Section 9 to handle, the number of recent ghost hackings is beginning to rise.

Note: This story is based after the GitS first movie. It doesnt really have much to do with Stand Alone Complex or Innocence.

Disclaimer: I own no part of Ghost in the Shell, characters, or trademarks.

Chapter 3: New Faces

The call came in while Togusa was on his way home after the successful mission. He was driving home to see his wife and kids when the Chief had come over his network and told him that something had come up and he had to be at the Le Francais restaurant as soon as possible. Unhappily, Togusa turned his car around and headed towards the fancy french dine in place. He'd arrived in a matter of minutes.

The place seemed to be under police investiagation. A crowd was gathered outside the restaurant around the bright police ring and various officers were wandering about the place. As Togusa entered the restaurant, he noticed Chief Aramaki's car parked outside. Togusa walked through the dinner area of the restaurant and was greeted by a old friend from the police force. Koichi had been his pal in his old days as a cop.

His friend smiled to him under his thick mustache and motioned for him to follow, "It's been awhile, Togusa." Koichi chuckled deeply, "How's the big league treating you?"

Togusa put his hands in his pants pockets as they walked, "It's tough but I'm surviving, I guess. What's going on?"

"I really dont know too much. I was told to wait for you here then take you back to Aramaki of Section 9 when you arrived." He pushed open a door to the men's room, "They're keeping it real hush-hush."

The chief was in the men's room with a couple of other men. They all were all speaking quietly among themselves but Aramaki turned to address Togusa when he entered. Koichi waved his hand, "I've done my job. I'll call you sometime Togusa. Tell you're wife I said hi." and Koichi left.

Aramaki led Togusa over to the group. Togusa crosed his arms, "What's going on, chief?"

"A lot." The old man said, "Aboout 45 minutes ago, the police department recieved a call that there had a scuffel in the bathroom of this place. The police arrived to break it up but it was already over. The man they're investigating now was unconcious at first but woke up and his telling quite a story."

"What'd he say?"

Aramaki sighed and looked to Togusa, "I'll tell you everything he said. This guy, his name's Black, entered the bathroom about an hour ago. He found a ghost hacked cyborg in one of the stalls and had read the guy's ID. Just when he was about to go get help, another guy entered. He'd asked the guy to call the cops but the stranger just punched Black. They fought for a few minutes but the guy ended up winning. Right before Black passed out, he'd seen the guy carry the cyborg out."

"So, we're dealing with another hacker already?" Togusa watched as the witness explained everything to a police officer, "Why'd you call me in? Couldnt you just fill me in tomorrow?"

"This case is special, Togusa." The chief also watched Black speak, "This involves us at Section 9 especially."

"Why's that, chief?"

"The cyborg that got hacked. He was one of our agents." Togusa turned to regard the chief in suprise, "It was Saito."

"Saito? How the hell did he get hacked?"

"We arent sure yet." The chief scratched his gray facial hair, "The investigation is underway but we really cant do a whole lot until we find Saito and to find Saito..."

"...we gotta find his kidnapper." Togusa finished in deep thought. This was definatly new. Never before had a Section 9 operative been hacked. Whoever had been able to hack someone like Saito had to be top knotch. Togusa sighed, "Where's Bateau and Ishikawa?"

"They've been informed and briefed. I'm giving you guys the night off. Come by early tomorrow and we'll all talk together. By then, maybe we'll know a little more. Rest, Togusa." He crossed his arms and looked at the man being investigated once more, "This isnt going to be a walk in the park."

Togusa nodded. Deep down, his cop instinct told him to stay and help in the investigation but his human side told him how tired he was. He needed sleep plus, his wife would be worried. After deciding, Togusa nodded a farewell to Chief Aramaki and headed out the door. He said bye to Koichi then went back out to his car and drove back home.

The next morning, all of the Section 9 agents arrived on time. Chief Aramaki called his officers into his office and waited behind his desk for them. The last night, Aramaki had spent most of the night at the crime scene. Never in his wildest nightmares at the Chief thought that he would see a agent under him get hacked.

The other men entered the room. Togusa, Ishikawa, and Bateau sat in the three chairs opposite Aramaki's desk and stared foreward at their chief. With a sigh, Aramaki leaned foreward and laid his elbows on the desk, "Good morning." He said in a disheveled voice. His operatives didnt reply, only nodded gloomly. Aramaki continued, "You all have a brief idea of what happened last night, right? About Saito?" Another nod, "Well, the investigation has dug up little detail. Section 9 will officially begin their investigation today. Section 4 and 5 has also been added into the investigation."

Bateau gave a grunt of displeasure as he heard that, "I guess the news is pretty shocking?"

"Very." The Chief sighed and cracked his knuckles, "I'll tell you everything in a moment. Now, we have some other news. Our new agent has arrived. He's been undergoing all briefings and mental check-ups this morning and he's all ready to join the team." He nodded and pressed the button on his intercom. He spoke into the box, "Send him in."

It took only a moment for the door behind them to slide open. Into the room came a tall, well-built man. He stood a good 6;1, his hair was a golden yellow that hung just a little past his ears, the bangs hung a bit past his eyebrows. He fashioned military-issued goverment attire, much like the other agents. His skin was dark and he had a bit of facial hair which gave him a rugged look, something most cyborgs rarely have. His eyes were of an intelligent blue.

The agent walked into the room and stood near to the door. He seemed to be waiting for orders. Obviously, he wasnt used to the high ranks and wasnt sure of how to act. The Chief noddd to him, "Have a seat." The officer took the seat next to Ishikawa and stared foreward at Aramaki, "You have undergone all the physical and mental procedures, correct?"

The blonde man nodded solemnly, "Yes, sir."

"Good." The chief turned to the other operatives, "This is Chigako Yoko. He is the newest member of Section 9. I'll let you guys meet later. Now, I'm going to begin the briefing." He removed a data disc and began reading to the agents, "Last night around 9 o'clock pm, the police department recieved a distress call from Le Francais restaruant downtown. The call stated that a fight had broken out in the restroom and a man was unconcious. The police investigated. The unconcious man's name was Garret Black, 29-year old business director. The man had been on a casual date with a work friend."

"Black explained what had happened to the police and that was when I got the call from the police chief. I went down myself. Here's all we know that happened that night. Black had excused himself from his date and gone to the bathroom. In one of the stalls, he found a ghost-hacked cyborg. Black had checked the man for identification and found him to be Saito, our agent. Black had prepared to leave the bathroom and call the police when another man had come in. He'd told the stranger to call the police. The stranger took one look at Saito then began assaulting Black. He'd tried fighting back but ended up being knocked in the head with something and going unconcious. Black said the last thing he saw was the man throwing Saito over his shoulder and rushing out."

The chief set the disc down, "That's what we learned last night."

Ishikawa frowned under his beard, "Any information on who the guy is who took Saito?"

"We have the witness' description and a name from the resteraunt. It's probably a fake but it's Hajime Kitamura. Ishikawa, why dont you take the description and name and look for something on the net."

Ishikawa nodded and stood. He took the disc from the Chief and scratched his beard, "I'll check it out." He turned around and nodded to Chigako, "Nice to meet ya." He said casually before he left the room.

Aramaki spoke, "Togusa, Bateau. There isnt much we can do until we find something on the napper. So, just hang around until we get a lead. Chigako, same to you." He sighed, "You're excused."

The three agents stood and silently left the room. They entered the lobby of their HQ and went about their business. Togusa went to make his morning coffee. In his rush to get to the meeting, he didnt get it at home. Bateau sighed and sat down in one of the many large recliners and began reading over the morning paper that Togusa had absently brought. Chigako, feeling akward, sat in a chair opposite Bateau and looked around the room unconfortably.

Bateau looked down from his paper and watch Chigako. With a hidden smirk, he spoke to the new agent, "Chigako, right?"

The blonde man looked up, "Yeah." He said with a brief smile.

"I'm Bateau. That's Togusa." He gestured his head towards Togusa, who was now leaning on the wall and watching them. Bateau put the paper down, "What's it feel like?"

The new guy seemed a bit confused. He crossed his arms while he sat, "What's what feel like?"

"Everything." Bateau leaned foreward. He placed his elbows on his knees and watched Chigako with his cybernetic eyes, "Being promoted, having a new body, working with new people."

He nodded briefly, "Diffrent." He said simply, "The new body is wierd. When I was asked to do this, I didnt really even think about the whole cyborg body thing. It didnt bother me." He shrugged, "When i heard promotion, all I thought about was the raise in money. My parents are pretty old and cant take care of themselves so they live with me. I need the extra cash for that." He leaned back, "and working with new people aint too bad. I've been transferred a couple times so I've gotten used to it."

Togusa came back in with a cup of java. Bateau noticed the mug and stood to get one himself, "It's been awhile since we've had a new guy. Togusa just came here about four or five months back."

Togusa chuckled, "I guess I'm not the rook anymore, eh?"

Chigako laughed heartilly, "I guess not." He thought a moment as he watched Togusa, "You're not a cyborg, are you?"

The ex-cop shook his head, "Nope. All I got is the network implants."

"I thought everyone in Section 9 were cybernetic."

"I thought so too but awhile back, I got transferred here by an old agent. She's the one who you got moved up to replace."

"What happened to her?"

Togusa glanced up to see Bateau grimly filling hs cup. His face was turned away from them as they spoke, "It's a long story. She was lost while working on the Puppet Master case two months ago."

Chigako nodded and lowered his head in respect. Bateau returned with his coffee and sat in his old place.

Hours went by with the three of them just sitting around and talking. Bateau and Togusa got to know Chigako. He joined the military after he graduated from high school and a few years later was sent to military school. He moved up the ranks in the military quickled and was on his way to a more commanding position when he was transferred to Section 9. He lived with his two elderly parents and took care of them. Niether of them wanted cyborg bodys so they werent in great health and Chigako needed the goverment pay to take care of them.

However, the entire time they talked. Togusa and Bateau were bothered by the idea of a ghost hacked Saito. Saito had always been a very careful and intelligent cyborg. He was probably the one they least expected to get hacked. The idea was very grim. Whoever had managed to hack into Saito ghost was a definite threat to all Section 9 agents.

After a few hours of just talking, they were called back into Aramaki's office. The three agents entered the room and resumed their former seats. Ishikawa alreayd sat there across from the Chief. They appeared to be waiting for them.

Aramaki nodded to each of them as they entered, "Ishikawa?" He said to the older agent.

Ishikawa nodded and leaned back in the chair, "I found some interesting stuff on our ghost hacker. First off, the guy's a dumbass. Hajime Kitamura is his real name. He didnt even bother to use a surname. He doesnt have any history of hacking but he has been into some dirty stuff. He's a big trader on the black market and has a rape or two on his record." He pulled out a disc and tossed it to Bateau, "I got his last known address and a up to date picture on there."

Chief Aramaki clared his raspy throat, "Bateau, Togusa. I need you two to check out Hajime's home. Chigako, Ishikawa has a list of names of black market traders who have had dealings with Hajime in the past. You take Ishikawa and check them out. All right?"

Bateau stood and nodded. He thrusted the data disc into his pockets, "Yes, Chief. Togusa, we'll take my car." Togusa nodded and followed him.

Chigako and Ishikwa followed shortly, heading out to Chigako's own car.

Bateau and Togusa drove to the apartment building that Hajime was supposably living in. The two agents got out of Bateau's car and headed up the stairs of the complex. Bateau double-checked the data and found the room that Hajime was living in. The two agents removed their pistols, Togusa using his coveted Matever, and knocked on the door.

There was some ruckas from inside and a muffled voice seemed to curse to itself. Bateau knocked again and waited for the answer. Some more noise was heard from inside then it was dead silent. Togusa frowned, "It's quiet. Think we should just bust in?"

"Read my mind." Bateau grunted and picked the door of it's hinges. The two agents entered the room with guns loaded but no one was inside. The apartment was a dump and they could tell why there was so much noise. He was probably tripping over everything when he walked.

Togusa and Bateau made their way through the apartment but no one was in sight. Suddenly, Bateau cursed loudly. He pointed to an open window. It led to a fire escape. When Bateau looked out, he could see a man hurridly making his way down the stairs. Cursing once more, Bateau followed with Togusa coming after him.

Bateau climbed over the railing of the fire escape and took a deep breath, the suspect was near the bottom of the ladder. Bateau hung onto the rail as his feet hung over the edge. Then he let go and fell towards the ground. At each level of the fire escape, he grabbed onto the railing and quickly made his way to the bottom. The man got to the bottom shortly before Bateau and he was forced to give chase.

The man was small and quicker than Bateau. He cursed and shouted as he ran after him. Bateau shouted back, "Stop, police!" He cursed as the man didnt listen and point his pistol. He fired a shot and missed purposly, he wanted the guy alive. The bullet didnt faze the man and he just continued running.

Bateau chased the man through a narrow alleyway. Hajime stopped every few steps and knocked over some trash cans or boxes to impede Bateau's path but the large cyborg either jumped over the obstacles or simply ran them through. Hajime still was able to keep a good distance between the two of them. They came upon the end of the alley way and a smirk came across Bateau's lips.

Bateau's red car pulled up to block the exit to the alley just as Hajime was about to escape. The suspect stopped and hit the car with a curse. Togusa jumped out from the driver's seat and smacked Hajime with the butt of his Matever. He reeled and fell against the wall. Togusa smirked as Bateau ran up to the, "You got your exercise for today, eh, Bateau?"

"A little too much for my liking." Bateau said after regaining his composure. He frowned at Hajime. The man had a clean shaved head but a dark black goatee. He had a dark tan and wore heavy dark clothing. He was bleeding from a split lip that Togusa gave him when he hit him.

Hajime cursed and wiped the blood, "What the hell do you cops want?"

"Just a couple questions." Togusa said as he roughly turned him around, "Hands against the wall."

Hajime did so obedietly and breathed heavily as Togusa inspected him, "I didnt do a thing!"

"We'll see." Togusa said as he took the man's arms and cuffed them. He led Hajime to Bateau's car, "We'll just ask you a couple questions back at HQ."

Hajime was forced into the back seat of the car, yelling and shouting at the agents as they did so. Bateau took a seat in the Driver's seat and started the car. Togus sat next to him and sighed. He shouted at Hajime to shut up and cracked his knuckles, "Well, that was fun."

Bateau chuckled as he started down the street but became serious, "This bastard had better know something about Saito, for his own sake."

To Be Continued...

Note: Sorry for the long wait. I havent felt up to writing and have been extremly tired lately. I dont feel real great about this story. I actually wanted to write more bt I decided I'd better just post this chapter so you guys dont get too pissed. I actually wanted this chapter and the next chapter to just be one but I'll just split it. So, tell me what ya think and sorry again for the wait.

Review Replys:

Brynstar: I'm glad someone caught my Masamune thing. I'll probably be doing that throughout the story but I didnt think anyone would catch it.

KillmeKissme: Thanks for reviewing again. I love having loyal readers like you. I hope you like this chapter too. Keep reading

Apparition7: It's good that your interested now. I know that the first chapter was bleh but I just wanted to get the story started. I hope you stay interested!

Zeonic Commander: Thanks for the review but I'm not sure if I understand. Sorry if I sound stupid because I havent seen SAC or Inocence yet but how would that work. At the end of the movie, Kusanagi merges with the Puppet Master and even gets a new body. How could that happen before SAC happens.


	4. Chapter 4: Thickening

What's Next?

Author: Chrischi

Rating: PG13

Category:

Summary: When the huge Megatech conglomerate closes due to a bad public reputation, the value to cybernetic Megatech-made bodies raises in the black market and people begin hunting for these cyborgs. If that isnt enough for Section 9 to handle, the number of recent ghost hackings is beginning to rise.

Disclaimer: I own no part of Ghost in the Shell, characters, or trademarks.

Chapter 4: Thickening

Bateau and Togusa had arrived back at HQ around noon. They brought their captive, Hajime Kitamura, up to questioning chamber and set him down to wait while they checked in with the chief. Togusa remained back at the room, waiting outside and watching Hajime through the one-way window. The bald suspect simply sat there, looking aroud the room nervously.

Bateau made his way to Aramaki's office. He rapped on the door softly then entered soon after. The Chief was warily looking at a computer screen, he glanced up as Bateau entered the room. The large cyborg stood a few feet from Aramaki's desk and crossed his large arms over his chest.

Aramaki sat back and nodded to his agent, "How'd everything go, Bateau?" He asked.

"Not bad." Section 9's Second-in-Command said, "We arrested Hajime Kitamura, he's awaiting questioning. I came to check in before we begin the process."

Aramaki stood with a bit of trouble and frowned. In his old age the Chief's bones were becoming brittle, "I want to watch. Ishikawa and Chigako are still out interviewing black market traders. Ishikawa contacted me a few minutes ago and said they were nearly done. Let's go."

Bateau led the chief out of his office and the two walked to the elevator. They entered and the chief spoke again, "Have you got anything out of Hajime yet?"

"No." Bateau said gruffly, "At first I got the feeling that he was just a puppet. A ghost hacked human but now I'm getting a feeling I was wrong."

"What gives you that feeling?"

Bateau was silent a few moments then shook his head a chuckled lightly, "A whisper." He said in a low voice, "from my ghost."

The chief smiled silently as the two shared in the strange memory of the ex-agent. Their memorys were interuppted as the elevator came to a abrupt halt and the two left. They walked awhile down the hall until they came upon Togusa. The young man turned when he saw them.

"What's up?" He asked as they stopped in front of him.

Aramaki looked in the window and watched the nervous Hajime, "Begin with the interogation."

Togusa and Bateau nodded and entered the room. They greeted the suspect bluntly and sat on opposite sides of the bald man. Togusa started, "What do you know about a man named Saito?"

The trader crossed his arms and shook his head, "Nothing."

Bateau frowned, "Apparently you do." He said and leaned in to Hajime, "We have various suspects that saw you in the Le Francais restaraunt last night. The same ones say that you left with a hacked cyborg." The man was silent, "Did you ghost hack the cyborg, Kitamura?"

Hajime turned to Bateau and laughed, "Me? Hack? Yeah, right." He smacked his leg in amusement, "I could hack my way out of a paper bag!"

Bateau continued. He ignored Hajime's laughter, "Were you in the Le Francias last night?"

The man scratched his dark goatee thoughtfully. He seemed to be trying to think of a way out of the situation. Finally he sighed, "Yeah."

"Did you get into a fight in the bathroom?" Togusa added.

Another pause was followed by a similar yes.

"Did you leave with a ghost hacked cyborg named Saito?"

Hajime paused for a longer amount of time. In frustration, he spoke, "Yeah."

Bateau leaned back and glanced over at the one way mirror. Aramaki spoke over their network, _"Ask him about the hacking."_

"So, you didnt hack into Saito's ghost?"

"No." Hajime said as he watched Bateau, "I told you, I cant hack."

"Then who did?"

"I dunno his name. He called me up out of the blue and told me where I could find the cyborg. Said he'd handle the rest."

Bateau seemed a bit confused, "Why did you want the cyborg in the first place?"

Hajime leaned back and crossed his arms, "Cash, brother." He said with a brief smirk. The man was obviously used to interoggation, "You've heard about Megatech, right?" They nodded, "Well, ever since they closed. There's been a big demand for MT-produced cyborgs on the black market. You can get big cash for one of them."

Bateau glanced shockingly at Togusa, "So you sold Saito on the market?"

"Not yet. I gave him to a salesman friend of mine. He handles all my sales and I split the cash with him. I havent heard of any offers yet but I have a hunch that your friend might already have been sold."

Bateau clenched his hands into fists, "Where can we get him?" He stood angrily.

Hajime put his hands up, "Whoa! Calm down." He pushed away a bit, "Listen, I'll give you the guy's address if we make a deal."

Bateau was about to shout but Togusa beat him to it, "What?"

Hajime turned to Togusa after glancing uneasily at Bateau, "A lesser sentence. No life imprisoment at all and nothing too harsh."

Togusa waited for confirmation from the chief then nodded, "Done." He said.

The bald traded smirked, "Alrighty then. Got a pen and paper?" He asked. Togusa quickly retrieved his request. Hajime began to write and finished. He handed the note to Togusa, "Here ya go."

Bateau took the note and prepared to leave the room. Hajime spoke up before he could leave though. His voice was serious, "I'm ready to give up my job. I'll serve my sentence then I'm done with the black market." He sighed and laid his arms on the table, "Listen, here's a warning. Your friend, Saito. You're not gonna find him, ever. You'll just find his body. His ghost has been deleted from the cyborg. Compeltly deprogrammed and awaiting a new host. All you'll find is a ghost-less shell."

Togusa and Bateau looked at eachother grimly. Togusa swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded, "Thanks." He said quietly and the two agents left the room.

As they left, a few police officers entered the room to lead Hajime to his cell. Aramaki awaiting the two and turned when they came up to him. He started walking back towards his office with Bateau and Togusa following. The Chief's face was grim and depressed. The group was silent until they made it to Aramaki's office where they entered and sat accordingly. The room was heavy with somber attitudes.

Aramaki broke the silence, "Bateau, let me see the address." He recieved the note and skimmed it over, "When Ishikawa and Chigako get back." He looked at Togusa, "I want you to take Chigako and go see the salesman."

Bateau frowned and crossed his arms. His face was haggard and worn. It was obvious that the large agent hadnt slept in days, "What about me?"

"You're in no shape, Bateau." The chief put his head in his hands, "Plus, I'm afraid if you go you might lose your temper." Bateau seemed about to protest but simply laid back in his seat and stayed silent.

The chief closed his eyes and prepared to contact Ishikawa via network implants, _"Ishikawa?"_ He said through the net, _"How's everything going?"_

It took only a second for the agent's voice to come over the channel, _"Nothing special. These guys are tough street dealers. They arent ones to talk to a pair of cops."_

_"Head back. We need to talk."_

_"Right, Chief. We'll be there in a minute." _The link went dead.

Ishikawa and Chigako took only a few minutes to arrive back at headquarters. They immediatly went to Aramaki's office and were briefed on what happened. The room was silent for a good few minutes as they reflected on the loss of Saito. Even Chigako, who hadnt known Saito, was silent and somber for the group.

Finally, Aramaki brought his head up and spoke to the four agents, "Togusa and Chigako are heading over to the salesman's place to check the guy out."

Togusa spoke up, "What if the same thing happens that happened with Hajime? We barely got that guy when he ran."

"I have a idea." Ishikawa said calmly, "Before you guys leave, I'll put a call in to the salesman saying that you two are clients interesting in purchasing his cybernetic body. I'll supply fake identitys and stuff. All you gotta do is get into the place then it's all you guys from there. Sound good?"

Togusa stood, "Yeah, that'll work. Ready, Chigako."

The blonde agent nodded and followed suit, "Whenever you are." He said and cracked his knuckles.

Aramaki turned to Ishikawa, "After doing that, I want you get any information from the Net that you can on Megatech bodys on the black market." He then looked at Bateau, "and you. Rest. You look horrible, Bateau. Take some time off and relax."

With that, the group broke apart to go about their seperate tasks.

Togusa and Chigako met eachother in the parking lot of HQ. They took Chigako's car since it looked more like a upper-class civilians car than the Section 9 armored van. It was a dark yellow sports car that Chigako treasured. It wasnt that special really but it was better than most people's rides now-a-days.

Chigako drove, following the transparents map on the screen. Togusa fiddled with his Matever as they drove down the street. Every now and then, Chigako glanced at his partner.

"What's with the antique?" He asked.

Togusa glanced at Chigako, "I like my Matever." He said with a smirk, "Plus, I dont like those new guns. Automatic weapons jam way too much and newer pistols just dont have the great feel to them like the Matever."

Chigako nodded at the answer and made a quick turn, "We're about two blocks from the house. Ishikawa did his part?"

"No doubt." Togusa holstered the Matever and fixed his jacket. He wore a blue jacket and matching pants all over a white shirt. He sighed and leaned back, "Ishikawa always does his part."

"I kinda figured that." Chigako wore similar clothing only his was a black suit with a dark purple undershirt. He would have looked like a regular business man if it wasnt for his long hair and rugged facial hair. He thrusted a hand towards a small home to their left, "That's it."

The car pulled up and the two 'clients' stepped out. They walked up to the house casually and Togusa rapped on the door loudly. A small red semi-sphere moved back and forth on the wall. It was a peephole. It thouroughly examined the two then the door opened softly. A small, dark-skinned man stood at the entrance.

The little man sported a black suit and his dark mustache stood out on his round face, "Hello, gentlemen." He said in annoyingly squeaky voice, "I've been waiting. Come on in."

The two entered and the little man led them through a hall. He glanced at Togusa then at a small card in his palm, "Mr. Gato, right?" He asked and Togusa nodded at his fake name. He then looked at Chigako, "and Mr. Chiang?" He nodded.

The salesman smirked, "I'm Alberto Gonzaga." He said happily, "Go ahead and call me Al, it dont bother me." Gonzaga led them down a small doorway and down another hall, "It's nice to finally have some clients. We got this cyborg a little while ago and havent had any business yet. I guess people are kind of edgy about the whole Megatech thing. Just a little while ago, I heard my partner got picked up by the cops."

He opened another door and they descended down a few metal steps, "So, what you fellas looking to do with the body. It's in tip-top condition. Megatech's best. He actually used to be a cop, I think."

Togusa, or Mr. Gato, spoke firmly, "We'd rather keep that to ourselves."

"Alright, alright. Sorry to pry." The man stopped at a large man size case and smirked at his clients, "Here it is, gentlemen." He opened the case and inside was a horrible site.

Saito lay motionless confined in a translucent, airless bag. His eyes stared lifeless at the cieling. He hadnt changed any since the last time Togusa had seen him but he knew that something big had changed. Saito no longer existed, only a ghostless shell.

Gonzaga smirked, "Pretty nice, eh?" He laughed, "Dont worry about getting caught by the cops. There's no chance in them finding out if this guy had a new ghost but if your still a little nervous then there's some things you can do to hide yourself. Dye the cyborg's hair, change the eye color, skin tone, anything." He smiled and leaned on the wall, "So, what kinda figures you thinking?"

Togusa cleared his throat and frowned. Without saying a word, he whipped out his Matever and thrusted the barrel at Gonzaga. The little man was definatly shocked by the gesture and slammed himself against the wall in shock. He slid to the ground, sitting on his fat can and gazing up into the barrel of Togusa's pistol.

"W-what are you doing!" He stammered.

Togusa glanced at Saito's lifeless shell and shut the crate, "You're under arrest." He glanced at his partner, "Chigako, take this guy up to your car. I'll get Sait-er, the body." He winced.

Chigako nodded and removed his own gun. He pushed Gonzaga to his feet and cuffed his hands behind his back. Then he forcibly started the man back up the stairs and towards his car.

Togusa sighed and put the gun back into it's holster. He opened the crate once more and frowned. Reaching in, Togusa lifted the Saito-filled bag out and carried it easily up to the car. With a heavy heart, he emerged from the house with Saito in his arms.

While Chigako and Togusa were out searching for Saito, Bateau sat hunched over himself on the dock. He'd been there since Aramaki had told him to take some time off and relax and for the last couple months, the docks were Bateau's place to relax.

He sat humbly with his legs hanging off the side of the pier, watching the bright sun sink over the mountainous buildings on the horizon. In the past, he'd sat there and thought about various things. From Section 9 to friends to life itself but never before had he been so torn as he was now. Ever since the Saito thing had happened, Bateau had been completly stressed out.

However, deep down Bateau knew that it had been going on longer than that. Ever since the end of the Puppet Master case, Bateau's thoughts had been ridden with stress and angst. Things he'd never thought about before now flooded his mind. The thoughts werent exactly welcoming. Bateau would do anything to get rid of the never-ending thoughts about purpose and meaning.

Bateau sighed and stretched. He spoke outloud in a quiet voice, "2501" He said simply. The numbers didnt mean anything anymore. At first, it was simply the codename of a hacker that he was supposed to stop. Then it turned into the secret passcode shared between him and a ghost from his past. Now it was just the code for his car. Nothing special about it.

"2501" He said again as he sat straighter and gazed down at the can of beer in his hand and frowned.

"What's that mean?" A voice said behind his back. Bateau turned to find the owner of the voice and was suprised to see that another person was there with him. A little old man stood behind him. The old guy wore dark green overalls over a white long-sleeved shirt. In his hands were a fishing rod and in the other, a bucket of bait. The old man was definatly in his late 70's or early 80's with a snow-white mustache and brief strings of white hair sticking out from under a green hat.

The old man smiled warmly at Bateau, "Mind if I take a seat?" Bateau shrugged absently and the man sat down next to him. He didnt exactly want company but he didnt care. The man took his rod and put a worm on the hook. In a moment, he casted the line into the water, "So, what were you thinking about?"

Bateau frowned and spoke, "Nothing important." He said as he watched the old guy's line. The man was silent and the quietness seemed akward to Bateau. The large man spoke, "I havent seen someone fish with an old rod like that in years."

The elderly gentleman chuckled, "You cant throw away old past times like this. There's nothing that can replace the calm, relaxing feeling of fishing on a pier." He glanced at Bateau, "You should try it. You seem troubled."

Bateau nodded slowly, "There's a lot on my mind." Is all he said.

The old man absently scratched his mustache, "Sorry for being nosy but what were ya saying earlier. I walked up here and you seemed to be in your own little world. You just kept saying some numbers."

"2501" Bateau said without thinking. He scratched his head, "Just a memory. From the past, is all."

"I see." He reeled the line in a bit, "Whats it mean?"

He glanced at the old man. His wise, gray eyes were gazing out over the ocean. He watched his line but all ears were for his companion. Bateau chuckled, "It's just something I share with an old friend." He smiled mildly, "Someone I miss."

The man nodded slowly. He reached into his shirt pocket and removed a pair of spectacles. He placed them on his long nose, "It hurts to lose someone important. I lost a couple of good freiends awhile back." He sighed and started his story, "I was part of a small group of friends. We were unseperable, the four of us were real close." He sighed and shook his head, "Sorry, it's a old memory. I'll just tell ya that the four of us, we cant hang out any more."

Bateau nodded solemnly, "I understand."

There was a bite on the old man's line and he attempted to pull it in. He reeled the line in but to his disappointment, the fish had gotten away with his bait. Chuckling, the old man stood and fixed his line, "old rascal." He said absently and gathered his stuff. He looked at Bateau, "Listen. Take it easy, son. You'll get what you're waiting for soon enough. Just be patient." He turned to leave, "Maybe I'll see you again here sometime. Next time, I'll bring an extra pole. It'll be good for you. So long, sonny." The old man started off.

Bateau smiled as the old man walked away. That was strange, he thought. Taking a drink from his drink, he looked at the soon to be gone Sun and crossed his arms. "The thing is... I dont know what I'm waiting for..."

To Be Continued...

Note: I actually liked writing this chapter. I got writer's block once or twice but I enjoyed it. I hope you guys think so too. Please, review! Please!

Review Replys:

KillmeKissme: That's suprising. I thought that chapter wasnt too great but as long as your happy, I'm happy. I'm really glad that you like Chigako. I'm trying not to make him seem like one of those created characters that turn out to be sort of the main character. .

Byrnstar: Nope, no other reason for the smirking really. Aramaki does have facial hair. He has a long, white goatee on his chin. I always thought that SAC happened before the first movie but then, I havent seen SAC so I wouldnt know.


	5. Chapter 5: Echo

What's Next?

Author: Chrischi

Rating: PG13

Category:

Summary: When the huge Megatech conglomerate closes due to a bad public reputation, the value to cybernetic Megatech-made bodies raises in the black market and people begin hunting for these cyborgs. If that isnt enough for Section 9 to handle, the number of recent ghost hackings is beginning to rise.

Disclaimer: I own no part of Ghost in the Shell, characters, or trademarks.

Chapter 5: Echo

Bateau entered the operation room of Section 9 Headquarters just on time. Ishikawa, Togusa, Chigako, and Aramaki were already standing on the observatory balcony. They looked down to the floor below where various operators hustled about a single bed. On the bed, laid a very familiar yet unfamiliar site.

Aramaki glanced at the latest arrival, "Right on time." He focused his attention back on the site below them, "They are searching Saito's body now."

Togusa crossed his arms as he watched, "They aint gonna find his ghost."

Aramaki nodded slowly, "I know..." His voice was grim.

Chigako cleared his throat, "I dont understand." He glanced at Ishikawa, who stood by his side, "Megatech was a very high profile, secure place. Dont they have their cyborgs parts on file or something. So that they can trace them?"

"They used to." Ishikawa stroked his thick beard, "but a couple months ago, someone took MT to court and said that the cyborg tracing was an invasion of privacy. The court ruled in favor of the guy and Megatech was forced to remove all tracking devices from their cyborgs." He sighed, "Plus, even if the tracking devices still were installed. This hacker we're dealer with, he's the real deal. I wouldnt be suprised if he could just hack in and get rid of them."

Down below, the operators stepped back. The head worker spoke clearly, "Affirmative. No ghost is present within this cyborg."

The group lowered their heads in despair but Aramaki tried to keep steady, "Very well. Search for any traces of a hacking."

"Yes, Chief." The operators began their work once more.

Bateau frowned heavily, "So, that's it?" He asked as he tried to keep his voice stiff, "Saito's gone."

Aramaki nodded solemnly, "That may be true but there is no time for grief." He turned to his agents, "First, we must find the calprit. The hacker cannot be let go, he's too much of a threat."

"Anyone who can hack good enough to get to Saito is a threat." Ishikawa took once last look at the operators, "but there's another thing. Those MT Hunters."

"Yeah." Togusa now followed as they began to walk away, "I can guarantee that those guys wont give up on a fourtune just because the test run was a failure."

Aramaki nodded, "True. Bateau, Ishikawa, and Chigako. All of you need to be on guard at all times. I want you guys to be monitored 24/7 and to check in every few hours."

The three cyborgs nodded as they followed the chief up to his office. Once there, they all assumed their usual seats. Aramaki sighed and spoke to the operators via the net, _"Anything?"_

_"We've got a trail, sort of."_

_"Explain."_

_"We've found traces of a POM-88 Virus. We've never had a case of such a virus, they're virtually unstoppable. It completly wiped out Saito's ghost."_

_"What were you saying about a trail?"_

_"Yeah. The POM-88 has never been used before mainly because it's such a complex virus and not many people are good enough to use one. But they also arent used because they leave such a traceable path."_

_"So, what are you saying?"_

_"We're tracing the virus back to the exact place it was launched. I dont know if it'll help now but it's all we have so far."_

_"It's fine. Nice work. Continue analyzing."_

_"Sure thing, Chief."_

Aramaki turned back to his agents, "You all catch that?" They nodded, "I want two of you to investigate the location."

Bateau spoke up, "I'll go."

"Me too." Togusa.

"Fine. Ishikawa, try to dig up anything you can find on a POM-88 Virus. Chigako, hang around in case anything else is found. Alright?"

and with that, they split up once more.

Bateau and Togusa drove to the location displayed on the digital map ahead of them. They were given the spot of where the POM-88 Virus had been launched. It was quite a ways from the headquarters but due to Bateau excess speeding, they made it there in a matter of minutes.

The spot was a expected one. A dark, mysterious alleyway with various trash cans, stray cats, and other expected things.

Togusa got out first, "Well, this is clique."

Bateau looked around, "Seems pretty quiet. Head over there, look for anything you can. I'll check out the alley."

Togusa nodded and took off at a brisk jog down the sidewalk. Bateau removed his automatic pistol and made his way into the dark alley. Looking from side to side, he mainly checked around the ground for anything someone may have dropped. Keys, a wallet, even an ID. Anything that would lead them to a name.

His looking was interuppted however, when he looked up to see that he wasnt alone in the alley. A young man stood at the exit. His hair was long and black and eyes that matched. He wore a tight blue jacket and equally tight jeans. He appeared unarmed but the quietness of the strangers entrance startled Bateau.

He raised his pistol, "Hold it." He said in a low voice, "Stay there."

The young man stared. A bit of a smile played across his lips, "What are you looking for?" His voice was steady, almost a monotone.

Bateau thought a moment. That was a strange question. The stranger was very calm for the situation, "Have you seen anyone hang around here over the past few days?"

The male stayed unmoving, "Are you looking for someone?"

"Answer the question."

The corners of his lips twitched slightly, "No. No one. Why do you ask?"

Bateau looked the stranger up and down mysteriously. His questioning certaintly was strange, "We've recieved information that a hacking occured here." His eyes stayed locked on Bateau's. Not blinking or moving. He simply stared and did nothing. Bateau grew frustrated, "What are you doing around here?"

"Same reason you are, I suppose..."

The response didnt make any sense, "What?"

"Bateau..." Bateau gripped his pistol, "Stay patient. You never catch a cold when looking for one." The man laughed charismatically.

"What are you talking about?" He stepped foreward with gun pointed, "How do you know my name?"

"Your name?" He continued his stare, "Your name is the only thing you have, huh? Thats the only thing distinguishing yourself from everyone else. From your friends and from everyone else." His lips curved into a grim smirk, "Under everything, Bateau, you're just another cyborg."

Bateau gritted his teeth, "What are you talking about? How do you know me?"

"Say hi to Togusa for me. Tell Ishikawa to stay cool. The Chief too." With that, the man turned and began to leave.

He started after the stranger. Lowering his firearm, he ran after him. When he caught up, he grasped him by the shoulder and spun him around. However, as the man turned. He saw a dim spark of electricity and the man fell foreward and lay motionless at Bateau's feet. He stooped down to see if the man was okay and turned him over. The man's eyes stared lifeless foreward, looking just like they did minutes before while they were talking but he was dead. Bateau checked to see what had killed him and found nothing suspicious.

He heard footsteps running down the alleyway towards him and saw Togusa coming up to him, "What happened?" He asked, kneeling beside them.

Bateau shook his head and lifted the black haired stranger, "No idea." He started towards his car, "Let's get back to HQ. I have a lot to tell the old man."

The drive back to Headquarters was long and akward. Bateau was very untalkative and sped down the crowded streets like a mad man. He had set the dead man in the backseat and hadnt explained what had happened. When they got back, Bateau carried the deceased to the operation room where various men were still working on Saito. He left the man there then Togusa and Bateau proceeded to Aramaki's office where the Chief himself was waiting.

Once there, they waited for the arrival of Ishikawa and Chigako then Aramaki turned to Togusa and Bateau," What did you find?'

Togusa spoke first, "Nothing here." He looked at Bateau.

Bateau sighed, "I dont know what I found." He said in confusion, "I searched the alley where the hacker was supposed to be and found a guy there. He said he hadnt seen anyone there over the past few days but then he started acting strange. He knew my name, and Togusa's, Ishikawa's and your's, Chief." The group became equally confused, "When I asked why he was there, he said for the same reason I was. Then he said something about catching a cold and left. Before he left though, he said to say hi to all of you. He left and I went after him then he fell to the floor and was dead."

The room was silent for a moment, "Did you recognize him?" Aramaki asked.

"Not in the least bit but he seemed familiar. Not in looks or anything... It's hard to explain."

"What did you do with the body?"

"Brought it with me. I left him in the operating room." He leaned back and sighed, "I dont understand it at all."

"Niether do I. Hopefully we'll know something at he's checked out." He then looked to Ishikawa, "What did you find about the POM-88?"

He scratched his beard casually, "Nothing we didnt already know. There's only been two other cases where it's been used. One in Canada where a computer geek hacked some chick. The guy was arrested on spot because the virus is so trackable. Same thing happend in Ireland about a year ago. In both cases, the hacker was arrested easily."

The Chief put his head in his hands, "What happened ti the victims?"

"The girl from Canada's ghost got destroyed and the guy in Ireland's cyber brain was totally screwed up. His family had doctors pull the plug on him pretty quick."

The Chief nodded in confirmation then spoke through his mind, _"Doctor Hazama, what do you have down there?"_

_"Well, Chief. We arent finding anything else with Saito. I think we're done with him but we'll keep him down here in case anything else comes up. Bateau dropped off a dead guy a little while ago and we're checking him out now."_

_"Make him your priority, Doctor."_

_"Sure thing, Chief. We're on it."_

Aramaki leaned back and looked at the group, "You're all dismissed. I'll call you in when the analyzation is finished."

After a few hours, Hazama called Aramaki down to the Operating Room. The Chief met with the doctor on the observatory balcony and the two spoke.

"We're done looking into Bateau's friend." Hazama motioned to the black haired man laying on a bed, "How long ago was it that Bateau met him?"

"Shortly before bringing him in, I think." Aramaki said.

Hazama shook his head, "That's not possible, Chief."

He looked at the doctor, "Why's that?"

"This guys been dead for nearly a month now. Severe brain trauma, we think."

Aramaki stared at Hazama for a moment. Not comprehending. He shook his head, "How is that...? Bateau said he met him only hours ago..."

The doctor crossed his arms, "No way. I think Bateau might be losing it." Hazama started to head back downstairs, "We'll keep the body here in case. Take it easy, Chief."

Aramaki nodded and watched as doctor's scurried around the dead body. Nothing made sense anymore.

Once again, the group of Section 9 sat in Aramaki's office in front of their disheveled Chief. Aramaki sighed and spoke. He looked as if he was aging more and more as time went by, "I spoke to Doctor Hazama about the man Bateau brought in." He looked up, "He said he's been dead for a month."

Bateau frowned, "But I talk to him just today. There has to be a mistake, Chief."

Aramaki shook his head, "Have those doctors ever been wrong before?" He sat straight in his seat, "I dont know what is going on but right now, we have to concentrate on the MT Hacker."

"Do we even have any leads on him?" Chigako asked, placing his elbows on his knees.

"Not at the moment but Ishikawa thinks he knows of a way to catch him."

Ishikawa shrugged, "The only way we could find this guy is to catch him in the act." He looked at the operatives, "There's a very good chance that one of us are gonna be his next target. More than likely, it'll be me, Bateau, or Chigako."

Bateau frowned, "What do you say we do?"

"There isnt much we can do except wear a barrier and wait for him to try hacking one of us. The moment he does, we track it and go catch the hacker."

"It's a very risky plan, Ishikawa." Aramaki said.

"Is there anything else we can do? He's gonna come after us eventually, anyways. You all know that."

The Chief sighed, "I suppose we have no choice. Each of you get a barrier before you leave. Take the night off but keep in touch. If you get even a hint of someone hacking your barrier, call us. Understand?"

Chigako, Bateau, and Ishikawa each nodded in confirmation, "Yes, Chief."

Aramaki stood, "Alright. Everyone, get some rest."

With that, the meeting was over and each of the operatives headed out to finish the day off.

Bateau returned to the dock later that night and made his way to the same spot he sat at the night before. Before he even reached the spot, he noticed that another person that there. He noticed the stick in the man's hand and immediatly knew who it was.

The old man looked up and grinned as Bateau sat down next to him, "Nice to see ya again."

"Something told me you'd be here." He took a sip of his beer.

The elderly man glanced at the drink, "That'll kill ya, ya know?"

He shook his head, "Not me."

"That's what all kids say. Even if ya dont get cancer or something like that, you'll end up getting drunk and doing something that'll kill ya."

"Cybernetic's get rid of all that. My body filters out all that stuff. No disease, no stupor, nothing."

The old man nodded, "So, you're a cyborg then." He reached over next to him and grabbed something that sat away from them. He handed it to Bateau, "I told ya I'd bring an extra for ya."

Bateau chuckled and took the fishing pool, "I didnt think you were serious."

He laughed, "I'm always serious, son. Here, I'll show you how to bait it." The old man took the rod and stuck a night crawler onto the hook. Bateau watched, he'd never been fishing before. The guy gave the fishing rod back to the large cyborg and reeled his own line in, "Now, watch how I cast." He threw the line out into the water.

Bateau bent the rod back and sent his own line into the water. It went about double what the old man's did. The guy whistled, "You got som strength in those bionic arms of yours."

"It comes with the package." Bateau said as he watched his line, "Can I ask something?" He nodded, "How come you never traded in your body for cybernetic parts?"

He was silent for a moment before speaking, "I never really considered it. I've lived for a long time and when the idea of getting a new body came up, I thought it was pretty strange, kinda scary actually. It just wasnt me. I'd be giving away my identity. Get the idea, son?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Good." He yawned, "So, tell me. What do ya do for a living?"

"I'm a cop." Bateau said flatly.

"What a coincidence. I was a cop back in the day."

Bateau glanced at the old man, "Really?"

"Yep. It was fun for awhile but eventually, I got tired of it. I retired and have just been hanging around for awhile." He silently smirked, "I was thinking about contacting a few buddies of mine though. A couple friends I had back on the job."

He nodded. The two were quiet for awhile, watching their own lines. Niether of them got a bite. Bateau yawned eventually, "I really dont see whats so fun about this..."

The old man just laughed.

"Got ya again." Ishikawa laughed proudly as he looked at his comrade who sat next to him. Two white panels sat on opposite sides of a black screen in front of them. A small white ball bounced back and forth as the two panels moved back and forth, knocking the ball at eachother in attempts to score.

"I dont know what you see in this game, Ishikawa." He said as Ishikawa scored another point against him.

"What do you mean?" He asked, putting the ancient joy stick down, "20th Century games are the best."

Chigako put his own panel down, "Whatever you say." He laughed and stood up, "I dont get what a hi-tech, techno-freak like you would see in such old things like that."

"I'm not a techno-freak, I'm just a fan." He laughed as he retrieved a can of beer for himself and his friend.

He tossed it to Chigako but he declined it, "I really gotta be getting home. My grandparents are waiting."

Ishikawa nodded and set the two beers down, "Alright. I'll drive ya, no use in getting a cab."

"Thanks. My car gets outta the shop tomorrow."

Ishikawa led Chigako out and into the parking lot outside his apartment building. His car was a boring, green car that he'd had since he joined Section 9. They got in the car and Ishikawa started driving.

Chigako yawned, "This MT case is getting pretty wierd, isnt it?" Ishikawa nodded, "I dont really understand it much."

"No one does."

"So, you think this hacker knows all you guys?"

"It looks like that."

Chigako looked out the window, "I wonder who it could be." He tapped the barrier that lay on his neck, "These things really dont make ya feel too safe."

Ishikawa chuckled, "Dont worry about it. As soon as someone starts to hack into ya, the barrier will give you a warning. Then, you have plenty of time to contact someone. The hacker wont even breach your barrier before someone shows up so dont let it get to ya."

"I'm trying but I'm new to all this stuff. How long did it take you to get used to Section 9?"

"Awhile." He made a turn and entered the expressway, "Then again, I was here when Section 9 was first started."

Chigako nodded and the car quieted down. The two didnt speak as the car drove silently on the freeway until Ishikawa made a loud grunt. Chigako turned to see what was happened just as Ishikawa turned the wheel swiftly. The car turned sharply and ran straight into the side of the expressway. It barreled over the sideguard and ran into the grassy area outside the road.

Ishikawa grunted again and looked quickly to Chigako, "Call the Chief!" He shouted and leaned back and looked away from Chigako again, "I'm about to meet our hacker..."

To Be Continued...

Note: Yeah, the plots building. I'm trying to make this story only about ten or so chapters. I think I might actually finish this story. That'll be a first, no second. Well, please review. I know it took a long time but the more you review, the more I'll want to write!

Oh, by the way. I bought the first four episodes of Stand Alone Complex. I was kinda dissappointed. The characters werent anything like they were in the movie and the animation was kinda a let down. Plus, I dont get what the pont of Tachicoma things are. They seem just like comic relief to me. I mean, why else would they put sissy-taking blue mini-tank things in the series. :p

Anyways, please review!

Review Replys:

Killmekissme: Thanks. I tried to keep this chapter the same length but I think this one was a little longer. I wrote it all in one night though.

Apparition7: I'm not planning on bringing Saito back, sorry. I'm glad your enjoying my progression. Keep reading!

Byrnstar: I know. I whole time I was writing that part, I was thinking about how totally stupid that was. I tried to come up with an explanation in this chapter though. I think the old guy is nice enough to throw the fish back. Plus, I hate fish so I wouldnt have anyone eat any. Bleh!


	6. Chapter 6: Truthful Liar

What's Next?

Author: Chrischi

Rating: PG13

Category: Drama

Summary: When the huge Megatech conglomerate closes due to a bad public reputation, the value to cybernetic Megatech-made bodies raises in the black market and people begin hunting for these cyborgs. If that isnt enough for Section 9 to handle, the number of recent ghost hackings is beginning to rise.

Disclaimer: I own no part of Ghost in the Shell, characters, or trademarks.

Chapter 6: Truthful Liar

Chigako contacted Chief Aramaki within seconds of Ishikawa's order. The elderly chief quickly made his way for his car and called for a Doctor Hazama and his staff to meet him in the Section 9 parking lot. Aramaki made it down into the car lot and was greeted by the men.

The group took a armored van with one of the operators driving and started down the busy street to the point that Chigako had provided. Along the way, Aramaki contacted his other two agents.

"_Togusa, Bateau. We've recieved word from Chigako that a hacking is in progress. The coordinates will be sent to you, get down here ow. It's Ishikawa!"_

The operator at the wheel proved to be a excellent driving, weaving in and out of the on-going traffic on his way to the point on the digital map. Rain began to fall when Aramaki finally caught sight of where Chigako and Ishikawa were waiting. Ishikawa's car had gone through a sideguard and now lay rest in the grassy area next to the freeway. Ishikawa lay propped up against the car outside, Chigako seemed to be preparing all the needed wirering for when the operators arrived.

The armored van parked along the side of the freeway and the occupants exited and rushed for the scene. Doctor Hazama led the group of operators, they surrounded Ishikawa. Hazama shouted various orders to his crew and the men set to work on aiding Ishikawa. The Doctor looked at the still concious Ishikawa, "How far has he gotten through your barrier?"

Ishikawa thought a moment, "Not far. He still has awhile before he breaches."

Hazama nodded and plugged a wire into the barrier. The wire separated into many diffrent links, each operator plugged themselves into the barrier. Hazama glanced behind him as Aramaki walked up, "Chief, we'll first trace the virus back to it's origin then we'll proceed with helping Ishikawa, alright?"

"Go ahead." Aramaki watched as Ishikawa closed his eyes. The operators must have put him into rest mode for them to stop the hacking. The chief looked for at Chigako who was watching from the other side of the group, "Chigako, as soon as we get word as to where the hacking is coming from, I want you to get there and stop the culprit. Understood?"

Chigako nodded, "Yes, chief. What about Bateau and Togusa?"

"I'll contact them as soon as they trace the virus. After the tracing is done, it's up to you three to stop the hacker."

The blonde agent nodded and watched as the operators scurried about Ishikawa. After what seemed like hours, Hazama spoke to them over their net, _"We've traced the virus. I'll send you two and Bateau and Togusa the coordinates. Now we'll stop the hacking."_

Aramaki turned to Chigako and nodded. The agent gave a thumbs up and quickly made his way for Ishikawa's car. Jumping into the driver's seat, Chigako started off for the blinking dot on his digital map.

Bateau had still been at the docks when he recieved word from the Chief that a hacking was taking place. Quickly, the large cyborg had made his way for his car and started for the place that Aramaki had told him to go. However, when he was half way there Aramaki contacted him again.

"_Bateau, Togusa." _The Chief spoke to the two agents, _"We've traced the virus. The coordinates have been sent to you. Hurry up and catch the hacker."_

He checked the map and made a quick right turn in order not to miss his road. The hacking wasnt taking place far from where he was now. The hacker was as good as his.

His car sped down the street, Bateau's eyes darting back and forth from the road and the map in front. The location wasnt far now, he could see where it supposably was taking place. Bateau stopped his car and pulled up alongside the sidewalk. He grabbed his pistol and stepped out into the cold street.

Bateau glanced around him, looking for anyone near by. No one was on the streets. Bateau contacted Chief Aramaki, _"Chief, there's no sign of the hacker."_

Aramaki came on, _"He's still hacking. He must be close." _He paused a moment, _"Watch for any sparks or anything, Bateau. Doctor Hazama is about to stop the hacking. It should also give the hacker a good shock. Ready? He's about to do it now."_

Bateau glanced around the area, waiting to see the sparks that Aramaki said would show up. He didnt see any sparks but he did hear a loud crash and a grunt. Turning, Bateau caught sight of a brief flash coming from around the corner. Cursing himself for not checking there to begin with, Bateau rushed around the corner and saw a man ripping some wires from the back of his neck and turning to run. Bateau, however, was too quick and caught the man by the collar just as he started his getaway. He hauled the hacker to the ground and held him there with his knee in his back.

"Got ya!" Bateau shouted as he prepared to cuff the culprit.

The man struggled only briefly then lay limp on the ground. He spoke in a soft, monotonic voice, "You're not gonna get anything outta arresting me."

Bateau cuffed the hacker's hands together and hauled him to his feet. He ignored the man's speech until they got to his car, "Why's that?"

The man smiled lightly. He was a well-built guy with dark skin and black sunglasses over a long nose, "You'll see..."

Bateau frowned and watched as a car pulled up alongside his. Togusa stepped out onto the sidewalk and joined his partner, "This the hacker?"

"Looks like it." He watched the man, "We'll find out when we get him back at HQ, I suppose."

Togusa nodded, "Alright. I'll meet you back there."

Bateau pushed the hacker into his back seat and took his place in the driver's seat, "Right." He said to Togusa as he started his car and started back to headquarters.

Chigako watched the interoggation through the one-way window. Togusa and Bateau were speaking with the dark-skinned hacker, he listened to the conversation they had along with Chief Aramaki.

Aramaki frowned and put his hands in his suit pockets, "I dont see how this guy was able to hack two of our officers."

"Why do you say that?" Chigako asked.

The chief shook his head and turned away from the questioning, "I guess it's just a feeling."

Chigako nodded, "How's Ishikawa?"

"He'll be fine. Hazama and his staff were able to stop the virus before it breached his barrier. They're just running some extra tests on him to make sure he didnt recieve any after affects."

Nodding, Chigako turned back to the interoggation. Bateau stood inches from the window without hindering his view and Togusa, as he usually was, sat on the left of the suspect. The hacker's head hung low, his eyes were fixated on the metal table before him. Togusa spoke firmly.

"I'll ask you again." Togusa said while trying to hide his obvious frustration, "Did you ha-"

He was cut short as the suspect interuppted, "and I'll tell you again, No."

Bateau scratched his head as he also took a seat, "We know you did. I caught you in the act." The hacker stayed silent, "Okay. If you didnt do it then who did?"

The man looked up from the table. He glanced from Togusa to Bateau then stared foreward at the window in front of him. It appeared to Chigako that he was looking directly at him but there was no possible way. No one could see through that glass from his side. Shaking his head, the hacker prepared to speak but something stopped him. The dark-skinned suspect leaned back in his seat. He didnt move, speak, or do anything else. His eyes seemed to glaze over and just stared into space before him.

Togusa moved and shook the man, "Hey. You okay?"

The suspect did nothing. After a bit of shaking from Togusa, he slumped back in his seat, appearing dead. Aramaki was alarmed and glanced at Chigako. In response, the blonde agent rushed into the room just as Bateau moved to check the man's pulse. He looked up at his comrades, "He isnt dead."

Togusa looked at the still body before him, "What happened?"

Bateau shook his head, "No clue." He crossed his arms, "Chief, we might want to get Doc Hazama to check this guy out for us. This might be a problem."

Later that day, Chief Aramaki and the rest of the staff of Section 9 sat in his office and listened as Doctor Hazama explained what had happened to their ghost hacker.

"Bateau was right, the guy aint dead." He scratched the top of his thin head, "but he sure isnt any better. From what we observed, a outside source sent a shockwave through the guy's cyber brain. It completly fried the hacker and rendered him in sort of a brain dead state. He's just a vegetable."

Aramaki frowned, "What do you think, Doctor?"

"Well, in my opinion. This guy isnt your hacker. Just a puppet that he used so he wouldnt get caught."

"Have you checked his memorys or anything?"

"There aint much left, Chief." The doctor put his hands in his pockets and frowned, "All we found were a few messed up images. There's no way to figure out what they are. We also found a short message but we cant figure out what it says."

The Chief nodded and scratched his head, "Very well. Send me the message and images later. Let Ishikawa have a copy as well. That'll be all, Doctor."

Hazama nodded and waved to the rest of Section 9 then took his leave. Ishikawa frowned under his thick beard and spoke gruffly, "So, our hacker wasnt the hacker after all."

"Just a puppet..." Bateau mumbled as he put his head in his hands.

"This case just got a little more complicated." Aramaki said in a tired voice, "Ishikawa, could you try to decipher that message for me. Take a look at those images as well. Those operators couldnt figure out what they were but they arent quite as good with stuff like that as you are."

Ishikawa stood and nodded, "Cut back on the compliments, eh, Chief?" He chuckled and went to leave, "By the way, maybe you should take a break. You look horrible, Chief."

Aramaki attempted to put on a smile over his haggard face, "Worry about the case, Ishikawa. Not me."

He waved off the comment and took his own leave. Togusa crossed his arms, "I'd like to check out those pictures too, if ya dont mind."

"Go right ahead. Good luck." Togusa stood and left as well.

Bateau looked up at Aramaki, "Maybe you should take a rest, Chief. Ishikawa's right, you look like a mess."

Aramaki rubbed his baggy eyes. His face was whiter than a ghost, "I'll rest after I hear that message. You two might as well take a break, too. There's nothing we can do until we find a lead on the real hacker."

Chigako stood, "Call whenever you find something."

Bateau followed suite, "Yeah and take my advice, Chief. Relax."

The two agents left and Aramaki leaned back in his seat. He rubbed his aching chest as he looked at the computer screen. The file popped up, within it was all that was left in the puppet's mind. Aramaki rubbed his tired face and let out a deep sigh as he prepared to investigate the file.

_To Be Continued..._

Alright, this chapter is sort of just a building chapter. It doesnt have that much signifagance, just to move the story along a little more. The next chapter will probably be one of the more emotional chapters of the story and will definatly be setting the final slab for the upcoming ending. I sure hope you guys are ready for the next few chapters. Keep reading and reviewing everyone!

Review Replys:

KillmeKissme: I'm glad you enjoyed Chapter 5. I sure hope you keep reading, your one of my most loyal fans. Thanks!

Twiknham: Wow, a new reviewer. It's been awhile since I've got a new one. I never really intended this story to be a real complicated one. It's pretty straight foreward and I intend to keep it that way but I also do want it to make you think. I hope to hear from you again.

Apparition7: Yeah, I'm starting to see the signifgance of the Tachikomas already with just the first four episodes. Keep reading and reviewing, please!


	7. Chapter 7: Departure

What's Next?

Author: Chrischi

Rating: PG13

Category: Drama

Summary: When the huge Megatech conglomerate closes due to a bad public reputation, the value to cybernetic Megatech-made bodies raises in the black market and people begin hunting for these cyborgs. If that isnt enough for Section 9 to handle, the number of recent ghost hackings is beginning to rise.

Disclaimer: I own no part of Ghost in the Shell, characters, or trademarks.

Chapter 7: Departure

Togusa had been on his way home when he got the call from Ishikawa. Night had fallen over the city as he turned his car around and sped back towards HQ in a haze of both disbeleif and grief. When he pulled up, he noticed that Chigako's and Bateau's cars were also present. Togusa jumped out of his ride and made his way into headquarters.

It wasnt long before the agent met up with his three friends. They were all huddled together, speaking in low voices outside Chief Aramaki's office. Togusa ran up to them just as they all turned in greeting, "What's going on?" He asked quickly.

Ishikawa scratched his gruffy beard and looked down, "It all happened shortly after we all left."

Togusa leaned back against the wall, hitting his head on the solid surface. He shut his eyes, "Tell me everything."

Shaking his head, Ishikawa continued, "We arent sure what caused it but we know it was a severe heart attack. I headed out to check out those images. I managed to clear one of them and tried to contact the Chief to tell him what I found. That's when I discovered what had happened."

Bateau and Chigako looked at the ground. The door to Aramaki's office opened suddenly and a few white-clad men rolled out a stretcher. On it was the remaining shell of a man covered in a white sheet. The agents of Section 9 didnt have to see the face of the deceased to know that their Chief was dead.

The remaining four agents sat in silence in the lobby of HQ. The entire thought of Chief Aramaki being dead was unbeleivable and yet strangly suspected. They would all agree that Aramaki was in failing health and that he looked like he'd been hit by a train the last time they'd seen him but still, it was very difficult for them to agree that Aramaki was gone.

Bateau was the first one to break the silence, "No one knows what caused it?"

Ishikawa shook his head as he stared into the distance, "No one has really investigated. It's already been proven that it was a heart attack but we havent checked what caused it."

"I wonder..." Bateau paused, "Do you think it could have been something inside that file found inside the hacker's brain?"

The bearded-agent shook his head, "The file was closed when I saw the computer screen."

"Most confidential files have a auto-close on them. After a few minutes of non-activity they close by themselves."

"How could we find out if Chief opened it?" Chigako asked.

The room was silent until Togusa stood abruptly, "I know." That was all the man said before he left the room in a rush. Leaving the rest of Section 9 only to wonder what the human could be thinking.

Togusa made his way down the narrow corridors of headquarters until he came upon a large door marked 'Security.' Opening the door, Togusa stepped into the room. The lone officer inside prepared to tell Togusa to leave but he stopped him with a class of his ID. The officer nodded and stepped aside so that Togusa could do what he wanted.

Moving to the panel of flashing screens, Togusa looked them over quickly. He glanced at the security officer behind him, "Give me all the records you have for the last hour of this room." He pointed to the panel that showed Chief Aramaki's office.

The gaurd nodded and moved to a separate room behind them. In a few moments he returned with a small chip. He handed it over to Togusa who thanked him in return. He sat down in one of the many seats in the room and uploaded the chip into one of the computers. A screen popped up and Togusa ordered it to play. The recording went on, starting with Chief Aramaki entering the room, followed by the rest of Section 9 and Doctor Hazama. Togusa fast forwarded through the talk that he was present for and stopped just as Chigako and Bateau left the room.

On the screen, Aramaki sat and rested for a moment before he went to work on his computer. The screen of Aramaki's computer was too far away for Togusa to get a clear look but he just let the tape continue. Chief Aramaki typed a few things on his computer, probably a security code or something but he suddenly stopped. Clutching his chest, Aramaki leaned back in his chair and stared foreward. He blinked a few times as he simply stared into the space in front of him. Finally, the Chief mouthed something that Togusa couldnt hear and collapsed into his desk in front of him.

The rest of the recording had no significant value so Togusa rewound the recording to where Aramaki prepared to open the file on his computer. Togusa frowned, "Enlarge the computer screen." Togusa ordered and the picture in front of him zoomed in on the screen. He watched as Aramaki typed in his password but he stopped. Aramaki never opened the memory file.

After zooming back out, Togusa let the tape play through again but stopped as Aramaki began to mouth something. He had the computer zoom in on Aramaki's mouth and played it again. Whatever he said, it had two syllabels. Togusa had the computer search it's database and try to find a match for whatever Aramaki had said.

Leaning back, Togusa waited for it to find some matches. He rubbed his eyes as he thought about Aramaki. He knew that something had caused the Chief's heart attack. Aramaki was in bad health but something had to trigger the attack. Still, the thought of his chief being dead was very hard to deal with but Togusa held back his grief. At least until he knew what had caused his death.

A list popped up in front of Togusa and he began to skim over the list of words. He searched for some clue. Whatever Aramaki had said could be the key to finding out what killed him. Togusa continued through the list of possible words, finding nothing. He prepared to quit when something crossed his eyes. He stopped his scrolling and brought his view back to the word he'd found. His eyes widened at the finding.

Togusa gave a few orders to the computer and the recording played again with it zoomed in on the Chief's mouth. This time when he mouthed the word, a sound file played the word in Aramaki's voice over the recording. To Togusa's disbeleif, it fit perfectly.

In a hurry, Togusa contacted his three partners. He spoke to them over the network, _"Meet me in Aramaki's office! I found something!"_

Chief Aramaki's office had been closed off ever since the incident. Now, the remaining four agents stood idly in the room as they waited to hear what it was that Togusa had discovered.

Togusa nodded as he noted that everyone was there. Swallowing, he spoke in low volume to his friends, "I looked at the security tape of Aramaki's office." Ishikawa seemed to mentally kick himself at the fact that he hadnt thought of that, "and I found a couple things."

Togusa paused, "First of all, Aramaki never even opened the memory file. He stopped halfway through opening it." He glanced at the other officers, "Also, he said something right before he collapsed."

He paused once more and Bateau frowned, "What was it?"

Togusa looked up, "He said the word Major."

Ishikawa and Bateau stepped back in suprise. Chigako looked at them in confusion, "What's that mean?"

Bateau shook his head and sat down, "What _does_ that mean?"

Togusa crossed his arms and looked to the ground, "Throughout the majority of the recording, Aramaki is staring foreward in disbeleif. I dont understand this but whatever it is. It has something to do with..."

Bateau cut him off as he mumbled the word, "Motoko..."

"But, she's dead." Ishikawa said as he looked from Togusa to Bateau, "Isnt she? She died a couple months ago along with the Puppet Master, right?"

Togusa nodded, "That's what I heard but her brain case was never found. Only her body."

"She couldnt still be alive, could she?" Ishikawa seemed to be staring at Bateau.

Bateau's eyes were fixated on the ground. He was completly distant from the rest of the group, lost in his own little world. His thoughts were interupted as a loud knock was heard on the door of the office.

Everyone in the room looked from one another in suprise. Ishikawa moved to the door and opened it to see who was there. They were greeted by three men in matching black suites. One of them had a visor covering his eyes. The lead man in the visor nodded to Ishikawa and walked past him into the office.

The man looked at the four agents, "Which one of you is the Chief of Section Number Nine?"

Ishikawa glared at the man, "Havent you heard the news? The Chief of Section 9 is dead."

The man frowned and glared right back, "You dont think I know that? I am the Head of Section 5, Uto Hoshomo. What I meant was who is the new Chief?"

The agents looked at one another. They hadnt even thought of who would take over after Aramaki was gone. They're thoughts were answered however as Bateau stood, "You can tell me whatever you need to say." He said.

Hoshomo nodded and turned to face him. The two were practically identical. Both were the same size. The only difference was the visor and bald head Hoshomo had, "Very well." He cleared his throat and took a document from the hand of one of his friends. He handed it to Bateau.

Bateau opened the envelope and read the document silently. He spoke afterwards in an angry tone, "What the hell is this?"

"That is a offical notice from the goverment that as of right now, Public Security Section 9 has been removed from the ranks of the goverment." A hidden smirk crossed the face of Hoshomo, "After the death of Aramaki, it was clear that Section 9 was falling apart. That document in your hands is just doing what would happen in due time anyways."

"Bull shit!" Bateau said in rage.

Hoshomo shrugged and turned to leave, "Whatever you say isnt going to change the verdict. Section 9 is no more and Section 5 is taking over all of your investigations. Dont worry about transferring your files onto the Section 5 database. They've all laready been copied and put into our network. I expect all of the originals to be deleted from Section 9's database as soon as possible. Good day, gentleman." With that, Section 5 left the room.

Bateau sat down in his chair and gritted his teeth. Togusa looked at the new chief, "What now?"

The room went silent as each of the men contemplayed what had just gone down. Aramaki was dead, Major Kusanagi was still alive, and Section 9 was no more. Bateau looked up and spoke firmly, "I dont know." He said and stood, "but right now, I'm gonna find out what the hell was in that hacker's memory."

The large cyborg moved to Aramaki's computer and sat down behind the large desk. The remainder of the former Section 9 moved behind him and watched as Bateau confirmed his identification and waited for the document to open.

Ishikawa spoke up behind Bateau, "Dont bother looking at the images. I got them covered."

Nodding, Bateau activated the message that was left in the hacker's mind. He waited as the file began to load, "Has anyone looked at this yet?" He asked.

The answer was all the same. No one had bothered to check the speech file yet. The only one who tried to look at it was dead. Finally, the loading was complete and the group listened to the message.

A long line of static played through the speakers of the private computer with a few hints of words in the background. It couldnt be said what the voice was saying or who the voice was. The group listened for anything they could make out. Nothing was audible to them until the end neared of the message.

Behind a large film of static, Bateau was able to make out four numbers. Four familiar numbers. 2501. He glanced behind him to see if any of his friends had heard it but it appeared as though he was the only one. The message came to and end and the group let out a unified sigh.

Togusa shook his head, "I didnt get anything outta that. Did any of you?"

Ishikawa and Chigako both added similar responses and Bateau spoke up, "Nope, nothing." He said although he didnt know why. There was no need for him to cover up the information but for some reason, he felt the need to. He shook his head and looked up to Ishikawa, "You got those images cleared up?"

"Only one." He said, "The others are all so messed up it'll take me days to figure them out."

"Go ahead and show us the one you got."

Ishikawa nodded and moved to Aramaki's desk. He reached behind the computer and pulled out a adapter wire and plugged himself into the PC. After a few seconds of silence, he said that he was ready.

On the computer screen, a small image of a building popped up. Ishikawa enlarged it so the group could see it better then spoke, "This place look familiar?"

Everyone studied the building quietly until Ishikawa interuppted them, "It's the Megatech building. This pic is pretty recent."

Bateau sat back in his seat and looked at the image. Chigako took a seat on the desk, "So, what's it mean?"

"From what I can see." Ishikawa said, "It could mean several things. A place of meeting, an order to hack more MT cyborgs, a target, a hideout. I'm not sure which it is."

Togusa scratched his head in frustration, "What's the plan then, boss?" He threw the question towards Bateau.

The large cyborg stood, "I aint your boss." He said steadily then moved out from behind the desk, "I dunno what the plan is. All I can say is that I'm going to investigate that Megatech building."

"Sounds good to me. I'm in." Togusa said.

"No." Bateau stopped the human in his tracks, "You need to go home and spend time with your wife." A slight smile came across his face, "I'm guessing the Mrs has been pretty lonely these past few days." Togusa seemed ready to protest but the cyborg cut him off, "That's the order, Togusa. If you say I'm the 'boss' then follow it."

The ex-cop sat down in frustration and Ishikawa was next, "Then I'll go with ya."

"I already got a job for you, Ishikawa." Bateau turned towards the bearded cyborg, "and it's kinda important. When I go into the building, I need you to monitor each floor I go on. Keep me up to date on any other movement, alright? I'm guessing the real hacker will have this place guarded plus, I bet Megatech wouldnt leave without leaving some killer guards or something."

He nodded, "Sure thing, Bateau."

Bateau smiled, "And dont you start, New Guy." He looked to Chigako, "You got the same orders as Togusa. Go home and take care of those grandparents of your's. Oh, and maybe try to find some girl. It aint healthy spending all your time with old folks and us."

Chigako chuckled and nodded without protest. Bateau then moved to the rest of the group, "Everyone got your orders? Alright then, Togusa and Chigako. Get out of here." The two stood and grimly said farewell to their friend and new leader before leaving. Bateau then turned to Ishikawa, "Hang around. I'll give you a call when I'm ready to get going."

Ishikawa nodded and took a seat. He yawned and stretched, "No problem, Chief."

Later that day, when the Sun was beginning to set. Bateau went back to the docks where he new he would see his newest companion. Just as he thought, the old fisherman sat on the docks with his and Bateau's rod in hand.

The old man smiled up at the large man, "Welcome back. You're late."

Bateau took his seat and his pole, "Yeah. Tough day at work."

"Really? What's up?"

"I got promoted." Bateua said flately. The old gentleman looked up at his friend and Bateau chuckled, "It's not like that. An old friend of mine died and I took his place."

"Oh." He looked down, "Well that's too bad."

"Yeah." Bateua took a long sip of the beer he had with him, "I cant stay long, gramps. I gotta big job tonight."

The old man nodded, "You dont sound too happy. Ya gotta bad feeling about this one, son?"

"Kind of." He was quiet for a moment, "It's strange. I've got this feeling that something's gonna happen. Actually, I also have a feeling that I might be meeting an old friend tonight."

"Well, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you." The old man said with a grin.

Bateau nodded and laid his rod down, "Thanks, old man." He stood with a yawn, "I guess I'll see you when I see you."

"I guess so. Hopefully soon."

"Yeah." With that, Bateau left the docks and headed for his car. It wasnt until he reached the automobile that he started to wonder how the old man knew that his friend was a she.

_To Be Continued..._

Note: I dunno how I feel about this chapter. I kinda feel like Bateau was out of character but then again, I kinda want him to be a little bit. Oh well. I dont have too much to say but it could be awhile until I update again. Six people were killed just a little ways from me and two of them, including the killer who also killed himself, were my friends. I dunno. The next chapter will probably be the last. Please Review!

Review Replys:

KillmeKissme: Lol, yeah. I kinda drag Togusa around a bit. I hope you like where the story is going.

Apparition7: Thanks for reviewing. Dont hate me for killing off Aramaki!

Byrnstar: Dang you! You predicted everything that would happen! From now on, you are not allowed to make predictions anymore! Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter:)


	8. Chapter 8: Follow Me

What's Next?

Author: Chrischi

Rating: PG13

Category: Drama

Summary: When the huge Megatech conglomerate closes due to a bad public reputation, the value to cybernetic Megatech-made bodies raises in the black market and people begin hunting for these cyborgs. If that isnt enough for Section 9 to handle, the number of recent ghost hackings is beginning to rise.

Disclaimer: I own no part of Ghost in the Shell, characters, or trademarks.

Chapter 8: Follow Me

The light from the large computer screen illuminated not only Chigako but the entire security room of Section 9 Headquarters. With the sigh and a rub of his tired eyes, the blonde agent looked at the opened history database. He scratched his gruffy skin a moment then spoke firmly to the AI, "Give me all records on the name Motoko Kusanagi a.k.a Major."

He crossed his arms as the various links came on screen. He chose the first few matches and read through the records on Kusanagi. He read about her stainless record her perfect ability as a agent of Section 9. He read about how she was ths second-in-command of Section 9. After reading through those records, he moved on to the next few.

Now he was reading the personal files of the 'Major.' He skipped most of the reports made by her partners, most of them were written by Bateau. He came upon the last two reports. One was given right before her unexpecte death, the other right after. He opened the first of the two and read through it quickly. It stated that Motoko Kusanagi had not been acting her self those last few days. That she seemed to be 'doubting her own ghost.'

Chigako pondered over the statement a moment. How could someone doubt there own ghost. He left the question for later and closed out of the first report after noting that it too was written by Bateau. He then proceeded to open the last file, this one was given by Bateau as well right after her death.

The report described what had happened in the warehouse that night. It said that Bateau had arrived just as the Major was single-handedly fighting a armored tank! Chigako raised his eyebrows at the accusation. He read on about how Bateau had barely been able to save her ass as she was nearly smashed by the tank. Bateau had left out how he'd saved her, he noted but overlooked. Then, Kusanagi had decided to dive into the infamous ghost hacker, The Puppet Master. Bateau had agreed and decided to monitor her as she went. He did so and Kusanagi dived into the hacker. Somehow, The Puppet Master took control of the dive and cut off all connection between Bateua and Motoko. The two had a conversation that Bateau could not monitor then both Kusanagi and The Puppet Master were assasinated by Section 6 Snipers. It also said that Bateua had tried to save Motoko but only got his arm blown off in the act. Kusanagi's brain cell was never found.

Chigako closed the file and leaned back in his seat. He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest and thought to himself.

"So..." He thought to himself, "Her brain case was never found. I'm guessing Bateua knows more about this incident then he wants to share." Chuckling, Chigako stood and sighed. He'd just get a drink then return to his research. There was something about this case that bugged him... and he was sure he wasnt the only one.

Bateau stopped by HQ once last time before he was to set out for the Megatech building. He entered the lobby of Headquarters and let out a sigh. Sitting down, he put his head in his hands as he thought about what was going on. He was going to Megatech HQ to find the hacker that had taken the life of Saito and tried to do the same to Ishikawa. Also, he knew who the hacker was. He knew it was Motoko Kusanagi, his old friend and comrade. Sighing, he rubbed his temples thouroughly. He knew he was going to meet with Motoko but what he didnt know was, what was he going to do when he got there?

A familiar hand on his shoulder woke Bateau up from his dreamland. He looked up to see Ishikawa standing ver him with two beers in hand. A smile stood out under the beard of the veteran and he handed the beer to his friend and took a seat across from the large cyborg. Bateau nodded to him and opened the beer.

Ishikawa took a long sip from the can, "What's on your mind, Bateau?" He asked, now looking at the cyborg, "You've been acting strange ever since we started this case."

Bateau frowned and looked away from his partner, "I think this case's gotten to everyone." He looked back to Ishikawa, "Right?"

"Of course, it's taken it's toll but that's not it." He leaned foreward, "You've been reminding me of someone lately, Bateau and I'm pretty sure you know who I'm thinking of."

"Bull shit." Bateau said quickly in-between sips of the alcohol, "I'm just ready to get this case over with. You are two, I know it."

"Sure I am." He leaned back, "but whats gonna happen, Bateau? Section 9 is gone. What are we gonna do after it's all over? They'll either put us in some other Section or wipe our brains, take our cybernetic bodies, and throw us on the police force."

Bateau shook his head, "Dont worry about it, pal. Whatever happens, happens. Just concentrate on this case now. Enjoy it. It's probably the last, ya know."

Ishikawa nodded slowly as he gazed down at the beer in his hand. He chuckled lightly, "Guess you're right." He took a swig of the beverage, "Still, it's kinda hard to beleive it's gone, huh? All of us didnt even get one last drink together."

"Save it for Heaven, Ishikawa. We'll have a drink when we're all up there." With that, Bateau finished the remainder of his beer and leaned back in his seat.

Ishikawa did the same then stood with a sigh, "You ready for this, Bateau?" Bateau nodded as he stood, "Come with me. I want to show you something before you head out."

The two ex-agents made their way from the lobby of Headquarters to the small room Ishikawa used as his computer lab of sorts. He sat down before the large screen and plugged a few wires into himself. The screen of the computer flashed on. Playing on the screen was a wire-image of a large building.

Ishikawa cleared his throat, "This is a map of the Megatech Building. I can guide you through the place, help you with key codes, and hack into security nets to help ya out." He pressed a few keys on the board in front of him and the image zoomed in on the building, showing the many rooms within, "I've also began hacking into the security cameras inside. They were turned off when MT closed down but I hacked them into working again. I can monitor every room and warn you of obstacles while you go."

Bateau nodded as he surveyed the map, "You can monitor every room in the building?"

"Except for a few. I go the majority of the hallways down and a few smaller rooms. The larger rooms I couldnt get a hold of though."

"That's fine." Bateau crossed his large arms over his chest, "I guess you're all set then?"

Ishikawa nodded and turned around to look up at the cyborg, "Yeah. All that's left is for you to get ready then we can get this thing started."

Standing, Bateau stretched his large body and started for the door, "You gonna hang around, Ishikawa?" The bearded cyborg nodded as he turned to face the computer screen once more, "I'm gonna go suite up. I'll call when I'm on my way to the MT building."

Bateau left the small room without a word of farewell. He had other things on his mind.

The sound of the radio was the only thing that stopped Togusa from falling asleep as he drove down the dark streets on his way home. He hadnt slept well all week and the lack of it was taking it's toll on the human. Togusa shook his head violently, trying to wake himself up. He tried to think about other things.

He was on his way home to spend time with his wife and daughter, something he hadnt been able to do for quite awhile. Ever since the hacker case came up, Togusa had been tied up with work all the time. That didnt leave a whole lot of family time for the members of Section 9. Of course, the only one that bothered was the only person with an actual family, him.

Togusa thought about his family as he drove. His wife and him had spoken on the phone every night he was gone. Apparently his daughter was catching a bit of a cold. A smile crossed his face at the thought of finally getting to see his young daughter. Her birthday would be coming up in about a week, Togusa planned to make it quite an occasion.

One idea ruined his thoughts of a big party, though. Now that Section 9 was gone, he was out of a job. His wife couldnt work because she was still on medical leave. About two months ago, they had learned that she had a uncurable disease, a deadly disease. The only way they could help her was to give her a cybernetic body. And that's what they did. So now his wife was a cyborg.

Another less happy thought entered his mind as he got closer to his home. Bateau and Ishikawa were still working on the hacker case. Bateau had made a point that Togusa and Chigako both had lifes outside of Section 9 and that he wanted to be the only one to go into the Megatech Building. Ishikawa was just working monitor. Togusa let out a sigh. Although he would much rather be at home with his wife, he felt kind of guilty and had a very bad feeling about Bateau heading into that building alone.

Shaking his head, Togusa tried to clear the thought from his mind. He noticed his home on the horizon and smile lightly. The car slowed down as he got closer to the small home in the rural part of the city. He pulled into the driveway and smiled as he saw his cyborg wife pass by the window. It was well past time Togusa got a chance to spend time with his family.

_2501_.

Bateau typed in the code to his safehouse and waited for the confirmation beep. He then opened the door and entered the empty home. Bateau cracked his knuckles as he turned on the lights of the small home and made his way to the back.

In the back of the safehouse was where Bateau kept sort of a storage area. There he kept various firearms and weapons that he usually got from the Weapons Testing Department. Most of the weapons there actually werent on the market yet. Bateau entered the room and clicked the dim light. He looked about the storage area, trying to decide which weapons he should bring on this final mission.

He easily picked out a hand full of grenades and put them on a belt which he tied around his chest. He traded his required automatic pistol for another pistol with a faster fireing speed and better range. Bateau then grabbed a military-issue Zastaber M-24. The automatic rifle was one of the most reliable guns Bateua had ever used. Bateau slung the rifle over his shoulder and grabbed another pistol just in case. He also picked out some ammunition then left his storage area fully loaded.

Bateau looked around the safehouse once more before he stepped out the door and locked it up. He typed the the code in once more to lock it up. 2501. With a sigh, Bateau turned away from the home and headed out to his car. Just a few days ago, Bateau had thought those four numbers meant nothing anymore. It turned out, that they very well may mean everything.

His car drove silently down the practically empty streets of the city. A sigh passed through his sleeps as he heard the raindrops start to hit the car. The rain quickly picked up and pelted the city loud and hard. Bateau used his net implants to contact his partner.

_"Ishikawa, I'm on my way to the MT Building now. You all ready?"_

It didnt take long for Ishikawa's voice to click on, _"All ready. How about you?"_

Bateau thought a moment as he turned a curve. The light from a strangly bright street lamp shone in his eyes. He paused before he spoke, "_As ready as I'll ever be."_

Ishikawa leaned back in his seat as he heard the last message from Bateau. _"As ready as I'll ever be."_ He sighed as he clicked a few butttons on his keypad and the map of Megatech came up on screen again. He rubbed his eyes and leaned back, _"Tell me when you get there, Bateau."_

It took a moment but finally his voice said, "_Roger."_

Ishikawa nodded as he sat staring at the wire-pattern of the MT Building. He silently tried to think of what could be waiting for Bateau inside there. He sighed as hea listened to the rain.

"Later, Ishikawa." A voice said from behind him. Ishikawa turned around to see a man wave to him as he passed by the door.

With a frown, Ishikawa stood and ran for the door. He looked out just in time to see Chigako turn a corner and head down the stairs to the lobby of HQ. He stared a moment and spoke quietly, "What the hell is that rookie doing here?"

The veteran agent shook his head and excused the question as he returned to his seat and looked over the Megatech map once again. With a sigh, he decided to run one last check-up on the security cameras before Bateau arrived.

Bateau's car rolled silently down the wet streets, not even the radio made any noise as Bateau had turned it off. The street lights passed by as his car quickly flew down the street, the light they gave out flashed across his solemn face as he went. The road seemed to hypnotis the cyborg as he drove.

However, it wasnt the road that had Bateau thinking. It was memorys. The memorys of the past, memorys of a woman that he'd lost two months ago, memroys of Motoko Kusanagi.

Although Bateau had no proof, he knew that Motoko was waiting for him deep inside the abandoned Megatech Building. The only proof he had was the most reliable one of all. A Whisper he heard in his ghost. He chuckled and shook his head as he turned a quick corner. The cyborg had heard the other agents of Section 9 talking over the past week. About how much Bateau was reminding them of Major Kusanagi before her dissappearance. Now listening to himself, he knew it was true.

Bateau frowned as he continued to thnik about Kusanagi, more specifically he thought about what she was doing. If his assumptions were true, Motoko was the one hacking into Section 9 agents. She was the one who'd killed Saito, attempted to take Ishikawa's life, and may have been what caused Aramaki's heart attack. If this all was true, Bateau wanted to know why.

He sighed and a familiar quote came to his mind. He looked foreward out the windshield and saw the MT Building on the horizon. He spoke the quote out loud, "What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror, then we shall meet face to face."

The quote had been spoken to Bateau and Motoko in the middle of a lake by The Puppet Master. He chuckled and wonderd how in the world he'd remembered that quote but then, Bateau remember everything about that case.

He sighed and took to contacing Ishikawa, "_I'm just outside the building. Get ready to hook me up with that map of your's."_

_"Ready whenever you are."_ Ishikawa said calmly.

Bateau parked his car in a discrete location then headed for the front entrance to the building. He looked at the door and shook his head, deciding not to take the front door. He looked around the area for another way but Ishikawa beat him to it, "_There's a side window to your left. I hacked the digital lock and opened it for ya."_

Bateau nodded and headed for the window. He silently opened it and slid through the slim window. He landed on his feet inside the building, _"Monitoring my vision, eh, Ishikawa?"_

_"You know me too well, Bateau."_

The large cyborg let his Zastaber fall into his hands. He double-checked to make sure he had a fresh magazine in the gun then started down the large hallway he was in. Ishikawa came over the network, _"Uploaded wire map now. You might wanna pick up the pace, pal. I'm not completly sure I can keep these cameras under my control for long."_

Bateau nodded quickly and took oof at more of a sprint. He watched as the red-wire map came over his vision. It showed the many doors and which ones were open and which were locked. He sprinted down the hall and came upon a door, he watched as the wire-frame opened which meant that the door was opened in reality. He smirked as the real door slid open.

Ishikawa spoke once more, _"Where you planning on heading, anyways?"_

Bateau was silent for a moment then spoke firmly, _"The Cyborg Development Center."_

_"Why there?" _Ishikawa asked, _"I dont have any view on that place."_

_"Just show me the way, Ishikawa."_

After a moment of silence, the indicators came over Bateau's view. They showed the right way in a blue frame instead of a red one. Bateau nodded and started off at the same pace before down the correct. He silently thanked Ishikawa.

After a few moments of quiet running, Ishikawa warned Bateau that there was movement in the on-coming hallway. He stated that he couldnt make out what the culprits were but he knew that they werent the standard issue security bots. Bateau nodded. The door opened to the hallway that the things were supposed to be in and Bateau immediatly noticed them.

A spray of gun fire flew past Bateau as he took to hiding beside the doorway. Inside the hall, there were three gynoids. It was obvious that they'd been manufactured just to guard something as they had no outer humanoid shell. They were just iron robots with guns, ready to kill any trespasser. Ishikawa shouted over the network, asking what had happened.

_"Three gynoids with guns," _Bateau answered, "_You were right. They arent security bots but someone definatly put them here as guards."_

Bateau came out into the open and raised his Zastaber to his shoulder. He fired three short bursts at each of the gynoids. The bullets hit them each. One was hit in the head, the other two in the chest but all three went down at once. Bateau frowned as he stepped past the gynoids, he'd hit their core movement base which completly stopped the gynoids from function. He continued down the hall quickly.

_"Those are some pretty cheap ass security bots."_ Ishikawa said, "_My guess is that the Megatech higher-ups put them in here to make sure no one tried to steal anything left in the plant."_

Bateau spat on the ground as he turned a corner towards his target, "_Just watch out for them, will ya? I'll find out who left them here later."_

The rest of the hallways continued mostly the same. Ishikawa warned Bateau of on-coming gynoids and he was easily able to take care of the security bots. Finally, the large cyborg came upon a locked door that led to the Cyborg Development Center.

Ishikawa sighed over the network, "_Give me a second and I'll unlock this for ya."_

_"Hurry up."_ Bateau said as he turned away from the door. Security Gynoids were heading down the hall with firearms in robotic hands. Bateau sighed as he switched to a full clip and opened fire on the gynoids. They fell one by one as Bateau mowed them down with the Zastaber but they continued their charge. He cursed as the Zastaber clicked empty and Bateau moved onto his second from last clip of ammunition. He started again on the gynoids and shouted to Ishikawa, "_How's it coming?"_

After a second's pause. Ishikawa spoke calmly, "_Just one more second... There! That should do it."_

Bateau started to back up but stopped as his back touched the cold surface of the door behind him. The door should have automatically opened, if it was unlocked. Bateau spoke, "_It's not open, Ishikawa. Whats going on?"_

_"That should have worked..." _He stopped a moment then cursed, "_Damn. Someone must have changed the lock code. It'll take awhile for me to find the right key."_

Bateau cursed as he checked his current magazine, "_I dont have awhile, Ishikawa!" _He thought a moment as he fired in short bursts at the gynoids, trying to preserve his ammunition. Suddenly, a single thought crossed his mind. He blinked a few times then sighed. Turning from the apporaching gynoids, he hoped that their horrible aim held out. Before he opened the box on the wall that would hold the manual lock pad, he tossed two of the hand grenades he had with him into the pack of gynoids. The explosion rang behind him, followed by a few robotic limbs flying towards Bateau. He looked at the pad and thanked God that it was still activated. He started typing a few numerals just as a wave of gynoid gunfire flew against the wall. He finished quickly and a confirmation bell rang as the door opened. Bateau ran into the room and looked about the dark location.

Ishikawa sounded suprised, _"How did you know the code?"_

_"A guess."_ Bateau said simply as he stepped lightly into the room and put the question of how he knew that the code was 2501 out of his mind, "_Can those gynoids operate the door?"_

_"Nope, they were built to be 'stupid' robots. Built just to guard a certain area and kill anyone who doesnt have clearance."_

Bateau nodded as he looked about the pitch black room he now stood in. He could tell it was large just by the feel he got from being in there but he couldnt see a thing. Just as Bateau was about to operate his night vision, the lights shot on. Without a smile he said, _"Thanks, Ishikawa."_

_"Just doing my job."_

With the lights on, Bateau could now looked about the room openly. It was just as he rememberd the CDC. A large pool of water stood about two feet off the ground although Bateau knew that it extended down into the depths of the building. It was the 'core' of the CDC, where the cyborgs were actually manufactured. There were various monitors and computers screens lining the walls and desk in the room and there was also a very large empty space right in the center. The only other notable feature of the room was the observatory balcony that stood quite a bit off the ground. With a sigh, Bateau examiend the room closer.

His head moved from left to right, looking for nothing in particular. He couldnt quite say what drove the cyborg to want to enter the room but he had a strong feeling that he would find something in here. Wether that thing was good or bad, he had no real idea.

Bateau's observing was caught as he looked to the empty space at the center of the room. There was a brief disturbance in the air there, something that no ordinary person would catch but then again, Bateau was hardly a person at all. He quickly knew what caused the disturbance, Thermoptic Camoflague.

He clicked on the heat sensory that was built into his cybernetic eyes and looked at the area once more. What he saw was one very unexpected thing. Sitting dead center in the middle of the CDC were two huge quadraped tanks. Bateau ducked out of the way just as the closer of the two tanks shot a burst of automatic fire straight at his head.

With a loud curse, Bateau took over behind one of the many desks in the room. He holstered his Zastaber and clicked his last magazine into it. With a sigh, he stood over the desk and fired a short burst at the armored tanks. The only way he could see the armored tanks was by use of his heat sensorry vision and that wasnt something Bateau loved using as it tended to slow down his reaction time considerably. He ducked back under the desk as the tanks fired their twin automatics at him. He cursed and dived behind another of the desks just as his last cover exploded in a burst of splintered wood.

Bateua peeked his head over the top of the desk, trying to find some way to get rid of the damn tanks Camoflague. One of the only things that worked to do that was water. Suddenly, an idea popped into Bateau's head.

The cyborg waited a moment for the tanks to occupy themselves with destroying his brief cover then Bateau burst from behind the desk. Running at a full sprint, Bateau fired his Zastaber rifle as he went in an effort to try and find some soft spot. Using his heat vision, it was impossible for him to find out what type of tank they were.

The two tanks turned and followed Bateau's every move. Finally, they fired their guns at him. Bateau cursed and made a last dive for his cover, the large pool on the opposite side of the room. Luckily for Bateau, he was able to roll behind the 2-foot tank just before the bullets hit the very spot he'd just resided in.

With a sigh of relief, Bateau sat a moment and listened as the tanks gears turned as their bodies moved to look at where they knew Bateau hid. Holding his breath, he glanced over the top of the pool just to make sure where they were then set his plan into action. He unhooked two grenades from his belt and pulled the trigger on both. He waited a few seconds before he threw them over his shoulder then listened as they landed loudly in the pool. After a second of silence, they exploded. The explosion sent whatever liquid Megatech put in that pool all over the room. It splashed the tanks and Bateau listened to the brief set of sparks as their camoflague died. He confirmed this with a quick peek over the pool.

Quietly, Bateau used his network connection, "_Ishikawa?"_

_"What the hell is going on, Bateau!" _Was his response.

_"I gotta... unexpected guest. Two of them, actually. Tanks, quadrapeds."_

_"What are those things doing there?"_

_"I'm guessing another security measure. The CDC isnt cleaned out yet and there's vital info in these computers. You still got visual with my eyes?"_

_"Yeah but you turned on your heat sensors and I lost the connection. Turn them off and I can see again."_

Bateau nodded and quickly clicked off the heat vision. He nodded as his regular vision continued, "_You good now_?" Ishikawa said he was, _"Good. Now, I need you to tell me what kinda tanks I'm up against. I'll give you some time to check them out." _He waited a few seconds, _"Ready?"_

_"Yeah, be careful. I only need a quick look."_

Bateau nodded and checked the amount of ammo he had left in his Zastaber. Half a clip. With a sigh, Bateau shot out from behind the pool. He looked at the two bright-red, quadraped tanks and fired his last magazine into their armored shells. He stalled about a full second then broke off at another run for his cover behind the tank. The Tanks fired their guns, one of the bullets tore into his arm as he did so.

_"How was that?"_ He asked as he examined the bullet hole in his arm.

_"Perfect now here's what I got. Pretty suprising, I must say. They are FRU-93 Model Quadraped Tanks. From what my source says, they're just military use right now."_

_"You know Megatech."_

_"Yeah, you're right. Anyways, their entire shell is armored except for the underside of their core area but even that'll take quite a blast to tear it up."_

_"Any idea whose controlling it?"_ Bateau asked as he threw his empty Zastaber to the side. He checked his grenade supply, three were left. He then removed the two pistols he'd taken with him.

_"Apparently, these are mainly AI controlled."_

_"That's just great. I'm fighting a computer." _With another sigh, he nodded. "_Alright. Thanks for the info, Ishikawa. I'm out."_

_"Roger. Be careful."_

Bateau took one last chance to check his gun's ammo then dived out into the open once more. His goal was to knock the farthest of the two tanks back far enough into one of the monitor-lined walls. He'd let his grenades do the rest of the work from there. Firering his pistols rapidly, he walked steady across the floor. He aimed mainly at the farther quadraped. The large tank took the rapid fire thouroughly. Although it was armored, the shots warned the AI inside to back up and get out of the gun fire. The other tank, however, was not warded and open fired on Bateau. The bullets came closer to the cyborg and he dove behind the cover of a nearby pillar. He glanced and noticed that his main target was right where he wanted it.

The tank was shaking off the effects of the multiple gun fire and that's when Bateau took his chance. He unhooked two grenades and tossed them towards the ground. They rolled and ended up laying right under the FRU-93. In a matter of seconds, the grenades exploded into a sea of flames. Bateau hadnt thought about how the monitors on the walls would spark up and they now caused a fire inside the CDC. However, his goal had been accomplished and the tank was no where in sight.

Flames now englulfed half of the Development Center and Bateau cursed his stupidity. The remaining tank moved away from the flames and fired it's weaponry at the pillar Bateau hid behind. The bullets simply bounced off the metal pillar but something caused Bateau to drive out of the cover. A loud beep signified that the tank was fiering it's lone missle at the pillar. Just as Bateua hit the ground, the pillar behind him exploded into rubble.

Bateau stood from his rolling and aimed his pistols at the enemy. The bullets bounced off of the tank as Bateau looked around for another means of cover then he noticed the observatory balcony. He could find no way of getting up onto the high area but then, yet another reckless idea entered his mind.

While hoping his luck would hold out, Bateau broke off at a sprint dead for the tank. He opened fire as he did so and this helped him in distracting the tank. However, his approachment made it easier for the tank to open fire and it did so. Bateau leaped and planted a foot on top of the tank just as it's twin guns fired at him. He took two steps of the quadrapeds hard top and made a leap for the balcony behind it. He came rolling on top just as the tanks bullets made clattering noises on the metalic cieling overhead.

With hopes that he was still alive, Bateua sat up and looked around. He now sat on the empty balcony overseeing the flaming mess where the enemy tank now sat in beffudlment. The FRU-93 model wasnt made for climbing so there was no way for the tank to reach Bateau. With a sigh of relief, Bateau leaned back and rubbed his soot-ridden face with the knuckles of his hands.

It wasnt until Bateau had sat up and looked around the balcony that he noticed that he wasnt alone in the room. Standing in the darkening shadows of the balcony was the tall figure of a woman. As he stared, the flames below made her visible to him. She wore tight-fitting attire and black boots as well as matching gloves. Her body was slender but showed with much muscle as well. Her face, although dark in the dim light, was mature far beyond anyone Bateau had ever seen.

It didnt take much for Bateau to recognize the face of his long-time friend and partner, Motoko Kusanagi.

Standing up from the ground, Bateau stared at the shadowy figure of the Major. To his astonishment, the woman stepped foreward completly shattering his thought that she was simply a figment of his imagination.

Ishikawa came on over the network shouting, "Bateau! What's going on? I'm losing all connection. Someone's hacking into my-" His voice cut off and was filled with static in place.

Motoko now stood in the full blaze of light. Her dark hair swayed a bit and her eyes were just as fiery as they were the last time he'd seen her, that day in his safehouse. Then, she spoke, "Hello, Bateau." She said, "It's been a long time."

Bateau regained his composure and nodded slowly, "That it has. Whats with your body? Last I saw you, you were only about 4 feet tall."

"A child's body doesnt suite me so I made a replica of my old self. Sorry if this insults your taste, Bateau." She crossed his arms over her chest and allowed a small smirk to cross over her face, "Why did you come?"

Bateau chuckled lightly and looked at her through his cybernetic eyes, "Dont play games with me, Major. You were trying to make me come."

"You figured me out." She looked up at him.

"Now it's time for my question." Bateau stepped foreward, "Why did you want me to come here?"

"Well, the Megatech building was just the most secluded place I could find." She shrugged, "I didnt know that there was security here when I first planted those images in that guy's brain."

"But why? Why did you want me to come in the first place?"

"Because..." Motoko thought a moment as if trying to find the right words, "I've been living in virtual reality for two months, Bateau. Ever since I merged with the Puppet Master. When I first started exploring the net, I actually had no goal, nothing to achieve except for some dream that I didnt even know. But now, I do. I now have a goal and I want you to come with me, Bateau."

"What in the hell are you talking about, Major?"

"My goal is to merge with the Net. To create an entire new world that didnt have cyborgs and humans. A world free from similarity and bonds. A world where there is no line between humanity and cybernetics because niether exist. A limitless world, Bateau and I want you to join me."

It was now Bateau's turn for a loss of words, "So you killed Saito to get me to join you in some crazy plan to create a new life? And you tried to do the same to Ishikawa?"

A quiet smile crossed her face, "I didnt kill Saito and you know I would never do that to Ishikawa. Saito... He has already made his decision. He's already merged with part of me and awaits the rest of you."

Meanwhile, Ishikawa sat at the front of a blank computer screen. He typed quickly on the keypad, trying to regain the connection with Bateau. Finally, the lights in his small technology room turned on and the large screen in front of him slowly did the same. However, Ishikawa didnt see Bateau's vision or the Megatech Building on screen.

Instead, the face of a woman appeared on the screen. Her hair blew in a non-existant breeze as she stared down from the sceen at Ishikawa. The bearded-cyborg gapped as he recognized the woman on screen.

"Hello, Ishikawa." Major Kusanagi said, "It's been a long time."

Ishikawa blinked a few times, trying to figure out what it was he was seeing. Finally, he built up enough courage to speak, "Kusanagi?" He said in disbeleif, "But, you-"

She shook her head. He noticed that various colors played across her face as she spoke as if she stood infront of a changing-color light or something, "I didnt die that night with the Puppet Master. I merged with him and have lived within the Net for the last two months."

"But, Bateau!"

"It was all just a elaborate ruse he told for me."

"What do you mean you merged with the Puppet Master?" Ishikawa asked as he sat back down. He calmed himself but still was unbeleiving of the whole thing.

"The Puppet Master and I became one entitity. I now carry a part of him with me every where I go, we are one now and forever."

A sigh came out of the cyborg's lips, "Major... I dont understand a bit of this that is going on but I had a feeling you were alive." He crossed his arms, "You already visited the Chief, huh?"

"I saw Chief Aramaki right before he died, yes."

"But... did you cause it? Aramaki was getting old and his health was bad, I'm sure your sudden return could cause that attack."

Kusanagi's image shook it's head gently, "No, I didnt cause it but I knew it was happening. The minute I entered the room, I saw that Aramaki was dying."

"How the hell could you get in there without someone seeing you?"

"Thermoptic Camoflague, of course. I was also able to hack into the security devices of Headquarters. If you watch the sensroy tapes close enough, you can tell."

Ishikawa sighed, "So, you just watched Aramaki die, huh?"

"Ishikawa, you know me better than that." The veteran cyborg looked up and watched the screen, "I am the hacker you've been chasing this past week but it wasnt to exterminate any of you. I have come to take you all with me."

He questioned her on this and she gave the same explanation she was giving Bateau at the same time, miles away at the Megatech Building. After she was done, Ishikawa nodded slowly.

"So, Saito agreed to everything?"

A slight smile crossed her holographyic lips, "Yes."

"You never answered my question earlier. Did you just watch the Chief die?"

"No. As Aramaki sat there, I spoke to him. I explained everything and gave him the option of either merging with a part of me and joining me or I could just save him by transferring his brain case into a cybernetic body. He chose the first option. Aramaki is with me, along with Saito."

Ishikawa frowned and shook his head, "How could Aramaki merge with a part of you. He wasnt a cyborg."

"Right before his death, I removed Aramaki's ghost and brain case and transferred it to another cyborg. After that, we merged."

Meanwhile, while Bateau was making his way through the Megatech Building, Togusa was sitting at home on the couch. His cyborg wife's head rested on his shoulder as they sat and watched a movie on television. His daughter lay at their feet, sleeping soundly as the night passed. It'd been a long time since Togusa had been able to sit like that and he was enjoying every second of it.

After a few good minutes of watching the film, his wife slowly drifted off into sleep. With a smirk on his face, he gently rose and laid her head down on a pillow as he went to the kitchen to retrieve a drink. However, when he entered the kitchen he felt soemthing strange.

Pausing and standing still in the silent room, he listened intently. He heard something but couldnt quite make out what it was. Reaching down to his belt, he removed the Mataver that remained at his side at all times and peered around the room.

There was nothing there but the sound peristed. As he listened intently, it grew louder and more clear. Finally, he made the sound out to be a woman's voice, quietly chanting his name as if trying to get his attention.

It didnt take long for Togusa to notice that the voice wasnt being heard in his ears but through his mind. Whoever was trying to contact him, was doing it via his network implants. Not many people were capable of doing that, only his fellow agents at Section 9 had the capabilites.

Togusa leaned backand lowered the gun to his side. He closed his eyes and spoke to the voice, "Who is this?" He asked.

The voice paused a moment then spoke, "Hello, Togusa." It said, "It's been a long time."

Togusa was silent a moment. The woman's voice was strangely familiar and yet, he couldnt put a face to it. Whoever it was, must have some ties to Section 9, then it hit him.

"Major?" He asked the stranger.

"Yes, it's me."

"Major Kusanagi? But how? You died-"

"Two months ago." The voice of Kusanagi said, "I didnt die but then... you always knew I wasnt dead, didnt you?"

Togusa frowned, "Bateau told me everything that happened, he said you were killed by snipers."

"It was all just an elaborate ruse he told for me."

He crossed his arms and continued to question the Major. He asked about Saito and Kusanagi supplied explanations for everything. Finally, he asked another question.

"Why are you contacting me, Major? I'm sure it's not just for reminicing."

Kusanagi chuckled, "Right to the point. You havent changed much, Togusa. How's your family?"

Togusa opened his eyes and frowned deeply. He moved to the door to watch his wife and daughter sleep, "What's this about, Major?"

"You know exactly why I'm contacting you. For the same reason I contacted Saito and why I'm currently having this same conversation with Ishikawa and Bateau."

He crossed his arms, "Major..."

"I want you to join me. To come with me to create this new world."

"Kusanagi... You know I cant. My family..."

"Why not bring them?"

"They would never come."

"and why not?" The Major's voice was reminding him just of how she was the last time he'd seen her, "Your wife has a cybernetic body now, right?"

"Right. She had a disease and we could only save her that way."

"She hates it too, right?"

Togusa was silent and thought a moment, "Yeah but..." He sighed, "Even if she wanetd to do this, we cant. I have a daughter."

The Major's voice sounded sincere, almost sympathetic as she started to speak again. "Togusa, I have news for you." she paused, "That disease your wife had, it was hereditary."

Togusa stopped and stared into the room that his wife and daughter slept in. He winced as he heard his daughter cough inher sleep, his wife moved her foot in her sleep to comfort the child, "How do you..."

"You took her to get checked a few days ago, the results havent returned yet. I hacked the doctor's files."

As Major Motoko Kusanagi continued to speak with the three Section 9 agents, the fires within the CDC Room of Megatech continued to blaze. Bateau spoke with Motoko over the roar of the flames and the coming heat.

Bateau frowned, "So, Aramaki and Saito both agreed to join with you and merge with the Net?"

"Yes." She said, "and dont act like you dont want the same thing I do, Bateau. I know you and I've heard you talking these past two months."

"How?"

"Every thime you enter the net, I'm there with you. Plus, do you remember the old man at the docks?"

Bateau quickly thought of the old gentleman that had quickly become a close friend. He'd gone fishing with him every night that week, "Yes."

Motoko smiled gently, "That was me. The old man was just a disguise I used to talk with you and listen to you."

Bateau took a step back as he finally noticed the stunning resemblace in personalitys the two had. Sure, they looked and spoke completly diffrent but deep inside, Bateau could see the similaritys. He silently recalled the moments when the old man talked about his old friends on the police force and how he was thinking of contacting them again. He knew it was true, Motoko was his dock-side friend.

She continued, "and the black-haired man that had died in the alley that night? The doctors said he'd been dead for quite awhile, right? Well, it was true. I just used his cyborg body to talk to you,." Bateau rememberd the crazy black-haired man, "and the hacker was also one of my 'puppets."

Bateau looked at the ground and was silent for a long moment. After quite a bit of silence, he looked up and prepared to speak to Motoko whe suddenly, a new presence was easily felt.

Looking to his right, he saw that the tank that he'd left on the lower floor had someone found a way to reach it's friend's killer. The tank's guns pointed directly at Kusanagi and Bateau and prepared to fire. Bateau prepared to dive on Motoko in yet another attempt to save her life but the guns never fired.

The tank was suddenly distracted and Bateau could see sparks fly as bullets were shot into it's armored hull. After a moment of enduring the annoyance, the tank turned and prepared to attack the culprit. Gazing over the edge, Bateau cursed loudly as he saw what was going on.

Standing near to the flames on the ground of the CDC with a modified rifle in his hands was Chigako. He fired round after round into the armored tank in an attempt to save Bateau and his unknown friend.

Chigako shouted slurs at the tank as it reared to look at him. He just nearly dodged behind a pillar to miss it's gunfire. Bateau shouted at the agent from the balcony, "Chigako, you dumb ass rookie! What the hell are you doing here!"

Bateau just caught a glance of the rookie's face and saw a strange smirk plastered on his tan features. He shouted for behind the pillar, "Saving your reckless ass apparently!"

Cursng under his breath, Bateau stood and turned to see Motoko still watching him with those alluring eyes. He frowned, "Dumb ass rookies. They always gotta be the heroes."

No smile came across Motoko's face although he eyes flashed a bit at the statement, "Bateau, you still havent answered me..."

The large cyborg turned over his shoulder and watched the battle below. Chigako had emerged from the coverage of the pillar and it appeared as though his rifle had been lost as he now sported a simple revolver. Bateau cursed and turned back to face Kusanagi, "I gotta help that bastard first."

A smile finally crossed the Major's hard face and she turned to watch the tank, "You never change, Bateau."

Bateau picked up the two pistols from the ground and ignored her statement, "Let's save the rest of this conversation for later. I got one grenade left and it's got that big guy's name on it."

With that, Bateau leaped from the top of the balcony and landed on the ground on the other side of the tank. Chigako was just barely dodging the fatal gunfire of the tank but Bateau unloaded a clip from each of his pistols on the backside of the tank, "Hey, ya big bastard! Fight someone your own size!"

The tank reared around and faced Bateau and Chigako gave his elder agent a thankful look. Bateau rolled out of the way of a rain of gunfire from the tank and landed behind a desk. He didnt get away clean and noticed four equal-sized bullet holes in his left arm. He took the time before the tank blew the desk to splinters to reload his remaining pistol with his still working arm. When he emerged from his coverage to face the giant, he noticed that Chigako had made his way to the top of the tank and was trying his best to pry the lid off it.

Bateau cursed and shouted warnings to the rookie as he remembered what had happened the last time someone tried that. However, Chigako didnt get half as far as the far-more-skilled Major Kusanagi had. The tank grappled Chigako by the leg and threw the blonde agent from it's back. It then pointed it's twin rifles at the grounded agent and prepared to fire.

The bullets never came out of the weapon as it stopped dead in it's tracks. Chigako and Bateau bothed look to see what had stopped the tank and they finally noticed what had caused it. Standing on the top of the tank, Motoko Kusanagi threw the wires she'd town from the inside of the tank to the ground and leaped off just as the tank fell foreward and buryed it's front part in the concrete.

Chigako stood and limped over to where Motoko and Bateau stood. He immediatly noticed Bateau bleeding and bullet-ridden arm and looked shocked at the large cyborg.

Bateau shook his head at Chigako and raised his limp left arm then let it fall back to his side, "It doesnt even hurt. This is just a synthetic arm, I lossed my real one two months ago." Chigako nodded and remembered reading that in Bateau's report.

Major Kusanagi then turned to look up at the cyborg, "Well, Bateau?"

Bateau nodded and a brief smile crossed his face, "Let's do it. A new world, no boundarys or limits. Let's do it."

Motoko nodded and placed a gentle hand on Bateau's good arm. It was strange, in all the time that Bateau had worked with Kusanagi, she'd never been gentle.

Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound was heard from above. Chigako shouted, "Shit! The roof's caving in. The fire and destroyed pillars must be taking their toll."

Bateau looked at Chigako and nodded, "Right. Get out of here."

Chigako turned but stopped in his tracks and turned to look at his partner, "Aint you coming?"

A sympathetic grin crossed his face and he glanced at Motoko, "No."

"What?" Chigako turned around fully and looked at the two strangely.

"I've finally found what I've been looking for." He stepped up and patted Chigako hard on the shoulder, "Get out of here and go back to those old folks of your's. I'm sure I'll see you again."

Chigako stepped back, not wanting to leave the older agent behind. He shook his head, "What are you talking about?"

"Just get the hell out of here, all right?" He turned back and went to stand with Kusanagi. Chigako glanced from one to the other, remembering what it said in their reports. Doubting their own ghosts, completley synthetic. Chigako hadnt been a full cyborg long enough to understand but now, he was finally starting to. Nodding quickly, Chigako turned and jogged for the exit.

Bateua called out to him just before he left, "Hey, rookie!" Chigako stopped and turned around to see him, "Thanks."

Without a smile, Chigako nodded and returned the word. With that, Chigako left the collapsing room. He didnt know what was going to happen but he knew this was what Bateau wanted...

_Later that night..._

Chigako returned home later on. He got out of his proud car and walked towards the door that led inside to his home.

When he left the Megatech Building, leaving Bateau with Major Motoko Kusanagi, he'd tried to contact Togusa to tell him what happened. He'd tried talking to him through the Network Implants but all he got was static. Chigako knew what had happened to the human agent.

On the way home, he stopped by Headquarters to check in with Ishikawa but all he found was his technology room empty. It appeared to have last been used only moments ago but there was no trace of Ishikawa. The large computer screen at the far end was blank, nothing played on the large screen.

Now, Chigako walked into his home quietly in hopes of not awakening his grandparents. He stepepd through the house and glanced into the living room where his grandfather sat asleep in his recliner. His grandmother was laying asleep on the couch.

With a empty smirk on his face, Chigako walked into the bathroom and peered into the mirror that hang on the wall. His leg still hurt him but that pain was nothing to the strange emptyness he felt now. All of his comrades were gone, swept completly off the planet by someone he didnt know but they all did. The idea was somewhat frightening.

Still gazing in the mirror, Chigako pulled his pistol from his pocket and glanced down at it. Did he want to end up like Bateau and Major Kusanagi did? Doubting his own ghost until his final day. He could take his own life now and not feel any of that strange pain ever.

But, somehing told him not to. He pondered Bateau's last words. _"I've finally found what I've been looking for." _The statement was strange and cryptic but Chigako somehow understood it. Bateau, Togusa, Ishikawa, and maybe even Aramaki and Kusanagi may all be happy where they were. They all may have found what they were looking for.

Chigako sighed and dropped his gun into the sink. He turned from the bathroom and took a seat in the living room where his grandparents slept and gazed at the still playing tv set.

Perhaps he would try to fiind a nice girl and maybe later on, find what he was looking...

_-fin-_

Note: Well, that's it. The conclusion has finally come to my first ever Ghost in the Shell fic. I have to say, I had a blast writing this and I can only hope that everyone who reads it will enjoy it as much as I have. God Bless all the good reviewers, you guys are the ones that finished this story.

Anyways, let's get past the dull, sappy stuff and talk. How'd you like the last chapter. I have to say,it was probably the toughest for me to write. I wanted it to be excellent. I wanted this chapter to have everything I thought you guys would like. Action, angst, and a bit of a sad yet uplifting ending. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Writing it was sort of a roller coaster ride, I hated it then liked it, then hated it again, and went back and forth as I went. To tell the truth, it didnt end how I originally intended it but I kinda like it this way. What do you guys think? Did I do a good job with bringing back Motoko? I know you guys liked the old guy but I hope you all love what I did with him in the end. How about Togusa and his wife? Do you think it was a good idea to make her a cyborg and all that jazz. Anyways, give me your comments and please make this your most lengthy review yet. I love lengthy reviews because they usually contain a lot of comments.

If anyone wants to contact me my email is I have MSN Messenger with that address and Yahoo Messenger which is GospelPunk16. I just thought I'd give these out in case you have any questions or comments or just want to chat about the story or anything in general!

Also, I'm torn as to wether I want to write another Ghost in the Shell fic or not. I have some ideas but I dont want to write it if it doesnt measure up to this one. I'm also pondering wether I want to write a GiTs fic or some other genre. Give me your views because I really want to do what you guys want.

Once again, I want to say thank you and God bless all of you reviewers and readers. This has certaintly ben a great exprience for me and heck, I never finish stories! So, thanks again and give me your comments! For the last time, Please Review!

The Last Ever Review Replys:

KillmeKissme/The-Anibee: Thanks for your sympathy. You have truely been a loyal reader and I thank you a lot for that. I have always been anxious to read your reviews and see what you think. So, what'd ya think of the conclusion. Good, bad, so-so? Let's hear it!

Apparition7: Sorry to tell you but the story is over but please review one last time. Your just like Anibee and have been very loyal. You and Anibee are the ones I usually wait for to post up the next chapters. Thanks a lot for everything and please tell me what you think!

twiknham: Thanks for your praise. It's too bad you didnt start reading earlier, it would have been interesting to hear from you more. Anyways, thanks for everything and thank your family for the thoughts and stuff during this time. I hope to talk to you agian sometime!

Note: There is one person who didnt review the last time but has always been a loyal reader. Byrnstar! It's been very fun to read your reviews most chapters and I was always sad when you missed one but stilll, thanks for everything and I hope you review one last time for me!


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